Tura, May 27: Groups of angry protesters representing various organisations of Garo Hills mobbed the Tura police station on Thursday night shouting slogans and demanding release of their leaders who were detained for conducting inspection and seizing consignments of tobacco biris from some shops in Rongram bazar, near Tura.

The leaders of FKJGP Pritam Marak, ADE Dalseng Ch Momin, AYWO Sengbat Marak and FAF Brinbal Sangma were taken to Tura police station after their vehicles were intercepted by police while returning from the Rongram market where they conducted the inspection and seized the biris.

When contacted about the sequence of events that led to the gheraoing of the police station, West Garo Hills SP V S Rathore said that they received information that some groups had gone to Rongram market and began inspection shops and seizing tobacco products such as biris without any authority.

“The Rongram police was deputed to conduct an enquiry and take necessary action during which it was ascertained that 7 members of FKJGP, ADE, AYWO and FAF had seized Biri packets from three shops and even issued seizure lists without any authority,” said SP Rathore.

He said that two vehicles that the 7 organisation leaders were coming into Tura town were detained along with the seizure lists and brought to Tura police station which soon witnessed hordes of angry supporters surround the thana and shout slogans.

They were pacified by the detained leaders who were later released.

The FKJGP president Pritam Marak has justified the seizure on the grounds that the traders are cheating the government by avoiding tax and making huge profits by charging their own rates on the product which the public are purchasing without knowledge.

“We came to know that traders are quoting their own price for the Biris as there is no MRP price printed on the packets anywhere in Garo Hills. They are thus making huge profits from its sale but getting away from paying tax. Only now they are starting to pay GST,” claims Pritam Marak.

However, the police say that such groups are not the authority to check these allegations which is to be conducted by concerned government departments. Tura police allege that some of the members involved in today’s incident were inebriated which has been strongly denied by the groups leaders and accuse the district authorities of false charges.

Meanwhile, police are going ahead with filing of cases against those involved in the incident.