Six surrendered militants linked to the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) were arrested on October 17 after allegedly blocking a national highway in West Tripura district to demand proper rehabilitation, police said. The arrests followed a morning protest that left vehicles carrying essential supplies stranded on both sides of the road and led to a scuffle in which two police personnel were injured.
Around 16 surrendered militants, led by Kaklaijoy Tripura, gathered at Hataikator and blocked the highway in the morning, according to police spokesperson Rajdeep Deb. The protesters were seeking proper rehabilitation, a long-standing demand among former militants who have laid down arms in the northeastern state.
An Executive Magistrate, Arajit Debbarma, was deputed to the spot and asked the protesters to lift the blockade, citing the ongoing festival season. However, they refused to comply, Deb said. The magistrate subsequently declared the gathering illegal and directed security personnel to clear the highway.
According to the police spokesperson, the protesters allegedly resisted the security personnel and used criminal force to prevent them from enforcing the magistrate’s order, resulting in a scuffle. The highway was eventually cleared, restoring the movement of traffic, while two police personnel sustained injuries in the incident.
Police registered a suo motu case — meaning one initiated on their own without a formal complaint — against six of the surrendered militants for allegedly blocking the highway and using criminal force to obstruct security personnel from carrying out the magistrate’s order. All six were subsequently arrested and produced before a local court, which remanded them to judicial custody until October 31, Deb said.
The incident highlights lingering tensions over the rehabilitation of former militants in Tripura, where outfits such as the NLFT and ATTF operated for decades before many of their members surrendered. While the state has seen a significant decline in insurgent activity in recent years, questions over the rehabilitation and resettlement of those who gave up militancy continue to surface periodically, occasionally triggering protests such as Friday’s highway blockade in West Tripura district.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/tripura/story/six-surrendered-militants-arrested-for-blocking-national-highway-in-tripura-1464268-2026-10-17?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-10-17 21:11:00
