Tension erupted outside a counting centre in Khowai district on Monday during the counting of votes for the Village Council elections in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) areas, with around 10 to 12 people, including women, reportedly injured in a police lathi charge.
Vote counting for the Village Council elections began across different parts of Tripura from 8 am as scheduled. Counting for the Village Councils under the Tulashikhar RD Block in Khowai district also commenced at the designated centre at Bharat Sardaar Vidyalaya.
Security arrangements were tightened outside the counting centre, with police putting up barricades to regulate the movement of people.
However, the situation reportedly turned tense after 8 AM when supporters of a political party allegedly attempted to break through the police barricades outside the counting centre. The incident reportedly created a situation of violation of the election code of conduct.
Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel subsequently intervened to bring the situation under control. During the intervention, police allegedly resorted to lathi charge on the agitated crowd, leaving around 10 to 12 people, including women, injured.
The injured were immediately taken to Khowai District Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
There was no official reaction from the police regarding the circumstances that led to the lathi charge or the identity of those who allegedly attempted to break the barricades.
Tension continued to prevail in the area following the incident till the last counting of votes.
Police sources said that the situation was under control on Monday evening and a large number of security forces deployed to defuse the tension.