Tribal youth arrested with 77 EPICs in Tripura

Agartala, Feb 03: A tribal youth, who was arrested along with 77 electronic photo identity cards (EPICs) yesterday in Chawmanu police station area of North Tripura, was produced before the court today.

The Dhalai district administration has launched an investigation against the case of snatching of EPICs from the villagers in Chawmanu constituency last week.

Police said the arrested was identified as Tularam Reang, who was nabbed while he was making xerox copies of the EPICs under different names.

Opposition Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) leader and candidate Shyamacharan Tripura alleged that the arrested was a cadre of ruling CPI(M), which has mobilised him to snatch the EPICs from INPT supporters.

He has also lodged complain against CPI(M) for its 'manipulative practice' to win the February 23 Assembly polls and demanded a high level enquiry into the incident.

Earlier, police said as many as 42 EPICs were snatched by BNCT militants from Chawmanu and Rimavalley constituencies in Dhalai district and investigation was on.

Meanwhile, the tribal militants were reported to be taking away EPIC in some remote areas following the decision of Election Commission to make it mandatory for casting votes.

''We have asked the district police chiefs and district magistrates to take appropriate steps to prevent such menace and the EC is considering alternative measures for those voters whose EPICs have been snatched,'' Chief Electoral Officer G S G Ayyanger said.

UNI