A day after a college student was allegedly abducted and raped while returning home from MBB college in Agartala, police are yet to make any arrests, even as the opposition CPI(M)'s youth and women wings staged a protest demanding immediate action against the perpetrators.
According to police, the survivor, a married college student, was allegedly abducted by unidentified persons while she was on her way home on Tuesday. The accused allegedly raped her before abandoning her a few kilometres away from the place of abduction.
Based on a complaint lodged by the survivor and her husband, police registered a First Information Report (FIR) at the East Agartala Women police station. The case is currently under investigation.
"A case has been registered and the matter is under investigation. No one has been arrested so far," a police officer said on condition of anonymity.
According to the complaint, the assailants allegedly abducted the woman in a vehicle and demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh from her husband before sexually assaulting her and abandoning her. Police have not officially confirmed details regarding the alleged ransom demand.
The incident has sparked widespread concern over women's safety in the state and drawn sharp criticism from the opposition.
On Wednesday, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M) and All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), staged a protest demonstration outside the East Agartala Women police station, demanding the immediate identification and arrest of those responsible.
DYFI leaders alleged that despite the FIR being registered, there had been no significant progress in the investigation. They claimed that neither the accused nor the vehicle allegedly used in the crime had been identified.
During the protest, DYFI representatives met Officer-in-Charge (OC), who assured them that the investigation was progressing. However, DYFI leader Sandipan Deb warned that the organization would intensify its agitation if the accused were not arrested at the earliest.
The protest also highlighted another recent case involving the alleged abduction of a minor schoolgirl from Surjyamaninagar in Sepahijala district, with the opposition accusing the police of failing to act promptly in both incidents.
The latest case has once again brought the issue of crimes against women into focus in Tripura. According to official police data, 667 cases related to crimes against women were registered in the state in 2025, leading to the arrest of 426 persons. Of these, 168 were rape cases and 116 were molestation cases. In 2024, Tripura recorded 724 crimes against women, including 180 rape cases and 108 molestation cases.
Police said the investigation into the latest incident is continuing, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the accused.