Villagers block NH-208 in Kailashahar protesting police inaction over missing farmer

Angry villagers have launched an indefinite blockade of National Highway-208, protesting alleged police inaction over a missing person case. The blockade has stranded hundreds of vehicles on both sides of the highway, causing severe inconvenience to daily commuters and pedestrians on Saturday.

Amidst tension, the incident took place in the Panchmanagar area of Kailashahar.

Sources said that one Ram Mohan Debbarma, a 60-year-old farmer and permanent resident of Panchmanagar village under Mailong ADC Village in Kailashahar under Unakoti district, has been missing since March 3. Debbarma lives with his wife, two sons and a daughter. His elder son serves in the Army, while the younger son is unemployed.

Family members said that on the afternoon of March 3, Ram Mohan Debbarma visited his daughter’s house in the Ganganagar area of Fatikroy. Later, he reportedly left for Jayguru Pharmacy in Kumarghat to buy medicines. Since then, he has not been traced.

After searching for him extensively, the family filed a written complaint at Fatikroy police station on the same night. However, the family alleges that the police failed to take any effective steps to trace him and even behaved rudely with the family members.

As the news spread across Mailong ADC Village, local tribal residents became furious. On Saturday morning, villagers from different areas under Mailong ADC Village began blocking NH-208 at Panchmanagar. Protesters have even erected a temporary canopy on the highway and are staging a sit-in demonstration. A majority of the protesters are tribal women.

The demonstrators said the blockade will continue indefinitely until the District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Unakoti district arrive at the spot and assure them that Ram Mohan Debbarma will be traced.

Protesters also claimed that they personally visited Jayguru Pharmacy in Kumarghat and checked the CCTV footage of March 3, which allegedly showed that Ram Mohan Debbarma did not visit the pharmacy that day.

Due to the blockade, hundreds of vehicles are stuck on both sides of the highway. A large contingent of police from Kailashahar police station, along with TSR personnel and central security forces, has been deployed at the protest site. The situation in the area remains tense.

Later, in the afternoon, after assurance from top officials over proper steps to trace the missing man, the agitators withdrawn road blockade and normal traffic movements resumed.