Tripura Timeline - Year 2008

January 1	The National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants opened fire on a civilian, identified Rabijay Reang, at Debendrapara village under Ampi police station in the South Tripura district. Official sources said that the injured person had been asked by the NLFT to join the outfit and had also not paid the demanded extortion amount to it. NLFT militants abducted a civilian, Madhu Tripura, from his house at Dhananjay Para village under Gandacherra police station in the Dhalai district. Madhu is an activist of the ruling Communist Party of India – Marxist and had refused to join the NLFT.
January 2	Tripura Police arrested three suspects, identified as Shyamal Debbarma, Nagrai Debbarma and Chitta Debbarma, in connection with the December 31, 2007-killing of Communist Party of India – Marxist party leader Chandra Mohan Debbarma by the NLFT militants at Naksirai Para village under Kalyanpur police station in the West Tripura district.
January 3	Three All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) militants, Subal Debbarma, Binode Debbarma and Dhirendra Debbarma, surrendered before the Tripura States Rifles at Ganthalung camp under Jirania police station in the West Tripura district.
January 7	A villager was killed and another reportedly went missing in a crossfire when the police retaliated to an attack by some extremists at Sarbangcherra forest area of West Tripura district.
January 8	One NLFT militant, identified as Bironjoy Tripura, was arrested along with arms and ammunition by the security forces after an encounter at Tamarai Para village of Ganganagar police station under Dhalai district. During subsequent search operations, police also recovered three locally made revolvers with live rounds, a bag of Indian currency, medicines, subscription notes and a calendar of the Biswamohan Debbarma faction of the NLFT.
January 10	Police arrested a BNCT militant, Tridip Chakma, with a locally made gun from remote Lalcherra Jalapar Para village under Longtharai Valley police station in the Dhalai district. A Borok National Council of Tripura (BNCT) cadre, Gainaram Reang, was arrested by the security forces from Ambassa in the Dhalai district during a search operation.
January 11	An encounter between the security forces and the Biswamohan Debbarma faction of the NLFT militants took place at Old Ramguna Para village of Atharamura range under Salema police station in the Dhalai district. While the militants managed to escape from the incident site after a brief gun battle, the troops recovered several documents including some extortion notices from the spot.
January 12	A suspected militant, Belarai Reang, was arrested from Patiraipara under Ganganagar police station in the South Tripura district. Shibu Ram Santal alias Sajal, an extortionist, surrendered before the Assam Rifles personnel.
January 13	An auto rickshaw driver, Amullya Biswas, was abducted by the BNCT militants from Mitrajoypara under Kanchanpur police station in the North Tripura district.
January 19	Two hardcore Borok National Council of Tripura (BNCT) militants were killed in an encounter with Tripura State Rifles personnel at Bankaraipara under Birganj police station in the South Tripura district. One Chinese grenade and one gun along with some incriminating articles were also recovered from the incident site. Unidentified militants killed a Special Police Officer, Bhajan Bhowmik, of Khedarnal village under Nutanbazar police station in the Dhalai district. According to Police, Bhowmik was missing from his camp and was later found hanging on a tree nearby his house with multiple head injuries.
January 19	Unidentified militants killed a Special Police Officer, Bhajan Bhowmik, of Khedarnal village under Nutanbazar police station in the Dhalai district. According to Police, Bhowmik was missing from his camp and was later found hanging on a tree nearby his house with multiple head injuries.
January 23	Two extortionists belonging to the NLFT were arrested by the security forces from Baigunsingpara village under Mungiakami police station in the West Tripura district while they were extorting money from villagers. While INR 17000 in cash was recovered from the possession of the duo, some other extortionists managed to escape.
January 30	Militants in Tripura have adopted new strategy of snatching the Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPICs) from the voters to prevent them from exercising their franchise in the forthcoming elections. A group of BNCT cadres led by Rupmohan Tripura snatched away 18 EPICs from the villagers of Gobindabari in the Dhalai district. Similarly, a group of armed NLFT cadres snatched 25 EPICs from Dalaparti Para village of the same district.
February 5	Security forces arrested four militants of the Biswamohan Debbarma faction of the NLFT along with arms and ammunition from Raishyabari area of the Dhalai district. They were identified as, Rabajoy Tripura, Ripajoy Tripura, Manai Mohan Tripura and Arun Kumar.
February 8	Cadres of the NLFT abducted two supporters of the CPI-Marxist, Rajkumar Debbarma and Ratan Debbarma, from their village at Shanpara in West Tripura district.
February 10	BNCT militants snatched six Electors’ Photo Identity Cards from the villagers at Labancherra in the Chawmanu area of Dhalai district.
February 11	Unidentified militants assaulted and injured Ajit Debbarma, a divisional member of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), at Khowai in the West Tripura district. Sources said that a group of militants blockaded their road near Baramaidan area of the Khowai subdivision and started assaulting them up with baton and threatened them with dire consequences if they did not stop working for the CPI-M.
February 20	More than 20 activists of the ruling CPI-M were injured when a group of NLFT militants stormed a local committee office in the Ramchandraghat constituency of West Tripura district and assaulted party members.
February 21	Four CPI-M supporters including a polling agent were abducted by the BNCT militants at Hariyamani para under Chawmanu police station in the Dhalai district.
February 23	Elections to the 60-member Tripura State Legislative Assembly concluded peacefully with a 91 percent turnout. Voting was held amid a deployment of 60,000 Security Force personnel across the four districts. G.S.G. Ayyangar, the Chief Electoral Officer of Tripura, said, "There hasn’t been a single untoward incident."
February 26	Police arrested four surrendered militants belonging to the NLFT for their involvement in instigating the tribals to occupy a government land near Raj Bhawan in Agartala.
March 3	Two workers of the National Projects Construction Company Ltd (NPCC). identified as Kitab Ali and Arup Das, were abducted by the BNCT militants from Joyrampara under Gandacherra police station in the Dhalai district. They were engaged by the NPCC to carryout survey for constructing roads in interior parts of the Gandacherra sub-division.
March 3	A hardcore NLFT militant, identified as Ranjan Debbarma, was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Tuikurmacherra under Mugiakami police station. One Chinese grenade and some incriminating documents of the outfit were recovered from the encounter site.
March 8	Security forces arrested five militants from the jungles of Govindabari area of Chawmanu police station under Dhalai district. One of those arrested belonging to the NLFT was identified as Daharam Reang, while four others belonging to the BNCT were identified as Pushram Reang, Annaram Reang, Banshiram Reang and Dataram Reang. During a subsequent search operation, SF personnel recovered one USA-make 12 bore revolver, one locally made gun with bullet and some Bangladeshi currency. A militant belonging to the ATTF, Ranjit Debbarma, surrendered before the SFs at Khowai in the West Tripura district and deposited one .38 revolver.
March 22	Three ATTF militants were arrested from the Kalyanpur and Mandai areas under Khowai and Sadar East subdivisions in the West Tripura district. Police sources said the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel arrested two ATTF cadres, Badal Debbarma and Shukramoni Debbarma, when they stormed the residence of a tribal farmer, Ramani Debbarma, and asked for INR 10,000. Another ATTF cadre, Khachuk Debbarma, was arrested by the TSR personnel from the Dushki area under Kalyanpur police station. While four of his accomplices managed to escape, one US-made pistol and three rounds of ammunition were recovered from him. One suspected Borok National Council of Tripura (BNCT) militant, Anil Debbarma, was arrested by the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel from North Maharanipur area in the West Tripura district. During a separate search operation, one US-made 9mm pistol and 3 rounds of ammunition were recovered from Teliamura area in the same district. Two BNCT militants surrendered at Kanchanpur in the North Tripura district bordering Mizoram. They deposited 36 hand-grenades and some ammunition. Police said that two collaborators belonging to the Biswamohan Debbarma faction of the NLFT surrendered and deposited 14 notice pads and several documents of the faction.
March 25	The BNCT militants abducted six persons from Khalangthang area under Kanchanpur police station. Later, two of them managed to escape from the militants’ captivity.
March 27	BNCT militants abducted three traders from a forest reserve in the Ghagracherra area of Dhalai and took them across the border to the nearby Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Police sources said the victims, Bidyajay Tripura, Surendra Tripura and Purnajay Tripura, had failed to pay the "tax" imposed by the militants because they could not afford to do so. Two ATTF militants, Nitai Debbarma and Rajendra Debbarma, surrendered along with two Chinese grenades before the sub-divisional police officer of Kalyanpur in Khowai after escaping from the group’s hideout at Satcherri in the Habiganj district of Bangladesh. One suspected agent of the Pakistani external intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is arrested from the Ramnagar area in capital Agartala. Mamun Mia, a Bangladeshi national, had crossed over to Tripura few months back and was staying at a rented accommodation in the capital under the false name of Suman Majumdar since March 25.
March 29	Two unidentified BNCT militants raided the Mohinipara village under Raishyabari police station in the Dhalai district. After collection of money, militants took away Kinamohan Tripura who had earlier been forced to accompany the militants during the extortion activities and crossed over to Bangladesh. Two villagers were abducted by the BNCT militants while collecting bamboo at Kasthamani Tripurapara in Bangladesh, about two kilometres south from international border. One villager was released with a demand letter by the militants on the next day. Two militants, Bitush Debbarma and Bipin Debbarma, are arrested by Police from Ganakrampara village in the Champahowar area of West Tripura district.
March 30	12 NLFT militants surrendered before the Assam Rifles at Kanchanpur in the North Tripura district.
April 3	Three Bangladeshi nationals, Mohamed Kabir, Sirajul Islam and Sayed Hussain, are arrested from Pratapgarh area under West Agartala police station. Police said that Kabir hailed from Jeshore district, Sirajul from Dhaka while Hussain came from Tangail district of Bangladesh. Among the three youths, two were illegally staying in India while another had entered with a forged visa. They had strong links with the Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami (HuJI) cadre, Mamum Miah alias Suman, who was arrested by the West Bengal Police from Agartala on March 27. Seven mobile phones, one passport and one driving license are recovered from their possession. Two abducted villagers, Vidhajoy Tripura and Sulendra Tripura, are released by the BNCT militants, due to constant pressure by the Border Security Force (BSF) on the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) to launch search operations in Bangladesh territory for tracing out Indian nationals.
April 4	Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, addressing the Merchant's Chamber of Commerce at Kolkata, said that, "Insurgency is a problem. It is not over, but is contained. Insurgents still have camps in Bangladesh and Pakistan's ISI is nurturing them. We are aware of it."
April 9	13 militants of the Biswamohan Debbarma faction of the NLFT surrendered before the security forces at the Assam Rifles (15th Battalion) head quarter at Hrankhal Para under Teliamura police station in the West Tripura district. One collaborator of the Biswamohan Debbarma faction of the NLFT, Aranyapada Jamtia, surrendered before the Assistant Commandant of the Tripura State Rifles (10th Battalion) at Battalion Headquarter in the Jirania area in the West Tripura district along with one improvised revolver and four rounds of 9-mm ammunition. One BNCT militant, Chandiram Reang, surrendered before the Anandabazar Police in the North Tripura District.
April 17	The Tripura Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Shahid Chowdhury, resigns over his alleged nexus with a Bangladeshi national and suspected Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami (HuJI) militant. His name emerged after the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a HuJI cadre Mafizur Rahaman alias Mamun Mia alias Suman Mazumder from his home in Agartala on March 28. Mamun was wanted in a bomb blast case in Shibpur in Kolkata in January 2008.
April 22	April 22: Two NLFT militants belonging to the Biswamohan Debbarma faction are shot dead by Tripura Police at Bijoymasterpara under Langtarai Valley police station in the Dhalai district. "While at around 9.45 am they reached remote Bijoymasterpara-about 14km South-East from police station, the militants led by Swapan Debbarma alias Jaggu suddenly opened fire at them. The TSR jawans immediately retaliated heavily killing two militants on spot. The firefight continued for about 15 minutes", an unnamed police personnel said. "There were about seven to eight militants. While two were killed others managed to escape," he added. One of the slain militants was identified as Puidarai Reang. One Chinese grenade, 27 rounds of AK series ammunition, haversacks and some incriminating documents were recovered from the incident site. Two NLFT collaborators, Sonacharan Jamatia and Uttam Debbarma, surrendered without arms before the Commandant of 5th Battalion Assam Rifles at Mungiakami in the West Tripura district.
April 24	One NLFT militant, Kishore Debbarma, surrendered at the Tripura State Rifles camp near 19 Miles under Ganganagar police station in the Dhalai district along with 23 rounds of AK bullets. One BNCT militant, Neibanjoy Halam, surrenders without arms at Kanchanpur police station in the North Tripura district. A person, Kanak Debbarma, who was abducted by the BNCT militants from the residence of one Saudi Debbarma at Suknacherra in the North Tripura district at gunpoint on April 16, is released.
April 26	A railway labourer is killed and an engineer is abducted by a group of 15 NLFT militants at Atharomura railway tunnel site under Mungiakami police station in the West Tripura district.
May 8	35 NLFT cadres, including four hard core cadres whose names are listed with the police, surrendered before the Commandant of the 14 battalion of Assam Rifles at Kanchanpur in the North Tripura district. They also deposited one SLR and hundred rounds of live cartridges. Five insurgents - two from the ATTF and three from the NLFT- surrendered before the Commandant of the Sixth battalion of paramilitary Tripura State Rifles at Teliamura in the West Tripura district. They deposited one AK-66 rifles and 120 live cartridges.
May 16	NLFT militants who abducted railway engineer Debabrata Das on April 26 from a railway construction site at Dalhampara near Mungiakami block in the Barmura hill ranges in the West Tripura district demanded a ransom of INR 2500000 for his release.
May 20	29 militants belonging to the BNCT surrendered before the security forces North Tripura district.
May 26	Two ATTF militants, Sanjit Debbarma alias Champai and Sunil Debbarma, surrendered before the security forces at Chakmaghat under Teliamura Police Station in the West Tripura district. An ATTF militant, Bhupendra Debbarma alias Nalen, surrendered before the security forces at Sidhai in the West Tripura district. A hardcore NLFT militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Atharamura Hills under Khowai subdivision of the West Tripura district. Three BNCT militants surrendered before the Commandant of 6th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, Sanjiv Sharma, at Shantipur in the North Tripura district.
May 29	Three BNCT militants surrendered at the Longtharai Valley Police Station in the Dhalai district.
June 1	Three militants belonging to the Biswamohan Debbarma faction of the NLFT surrendered before the Police at Raishyabari Police Station at Gandacherra in the Dhalai district.
June 5	Abducted railway engineer Debabrata Das was rescued by the Tripura State Rifles personnel from the captivity of NLFT-BM militants from Simultuibaklai under Champahower Police Station in the West Tripura district.
June 6	Two ATTF militants, identified as Shyamal Debbarma alias Bukhatai and Jiti Debbarma alias Baroa, surrendered before the security forces at 2nd Battalion Tripura State Rifles Headquarter at R.K Nagar in the West Tripura district.
June 13	An unidentified militant killed a tribal villager, Manindra Debbarma alias Kalija, at Urabai under Sidhai Police Station in the West Tripura district. The militant entered into the village in underground uniform and shot him dead on the spot while he was sitting with other persons.
June 14	BNCT militants abducted a minor boy, Alani Kumar Malsum, Tanthai Bari of Amarpur subdivision in the South Tripura District. Police sources said that a group of eight BNCT militants led by Priyananda Reang, Surenjoy Reang and Shiba Deb Barma abducted Alani of at gunpoint and fled.
June 15	Six NLFT cadres surrendered before Assam Rifles at Kanchanpur in the North Tripura district. They also surrendered a two inch motor, hand grenades, detonator and gun powder.
June 22	One civilian, Jatindra Tripura, is killed by unidentified militants at Tulamura Hill Track under Silachari police station in the South Tripura district.
June 29	Two NLFT militants, Sharat Malsum and Chanrai Reang, are shot dead by a joint team of the Tripura State Rifles and Central Reserve Police Force during a counter-insurgency operation at Vishnuprasadpara village under Ampi police station in the South Tripura district.
July 2	Five NLFT militants surrender before the Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Kanchanpur at Anandabazar outpost in the North Tripura district. They are identified as Nirmal Debbarma, Adhin Charan Debbarma, Jitendra Debbarma, Sukumar Debbarma and Ranjit Kumar Reang. They claimed to have deserted the hideout in Bangladesh and crossed over the India-Bangladesh border to surrender.
July 6	Two hand grenades, 10 live rounds and ‘tax’ collection receipt of the NLFT are recovered from Takhapara under Ganganagar police station.
July 7	Tripura Police and Assam Rifles personnel recover six locally-made guns and four extra barrels belonging to the BNCT group, during a joint search operation at Barcherra under Kanchanpur sub-division in the North Tripura district.