Assam Eviction Drive: 12 More Arrested as Police Crackdown Intensifies Following Violence

Tensions remain high in Assam’s Goalpara district as police continue their crackdown following violent clashes during an eviction drive in the Paikan Reserve Forest area.

According to officials, the number of arrests connected to Thursday’s unrest has now climbed to 21, with 12 more people taken into custody late Friday night from various locations in and around Krishnai.

Goalpara Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nabaneet Mahanta said nine people were arrested Friday morning, and the number rose as operations continued throughout the day.

“Eleven of them were picked up late Friday based on video footage, eyewitness accounts, and intelligence inputs. Some were clearly seen wielding sticks, throwing stones, and trying to disrupt the eviction process,” Mahanta said.

An investigating officer confirmed that ten of the 21 arrested have already been sent to judicial custody.

Authorities also believe that several others involved in the violence have gone into hiding in nearby areas. “We are not backing down. More arrests are expected,” a senior officer said.

The violence erupted on Thursday morning during a plantation drive carried out by forest and police officials on land that had recently been cleared in an eviction operation. Officials said a large group of locals, alleged to be illegal settlers, resisted the effort and attacked the team with sticks and stones, sparking a chaotic confrontation.

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