7 arrested for allegedly attacking cops during anti-Waqf Act protest in Assam
Police said that these seven are prime accused in this case but some other youths were also involved and some of them have been identified
Silchar: The Assam police have arrested seven people in connection with the alleged attack on on-duty police personnel during a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 in Silchar on Sunday, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Cachar superintendent of police (SP) Numal Mahatta said, “Last night an operation was conducted in Bagadahar and Kashipur area near Silchar town and we arrested a total of seven accused persons primarily involved in the incident.”
The arrested persons have been identified as Nazmul Islam Laskar, Bidar Laskar (32), Rohit Hussain Laskar (19), Dilwar Hussain (30), Rohit Ahmed Mazumder (19), Atikur Rahman Laskar (25), and Riyajul Laskar (24). Bidar Laskar is a resident of Kashipur while the others are from Berenga area, as per the police records.
Mahatta said that these seven are prime accused in this case but some other youths were also involved and some of them have been identified.
He said that the matter was being investigated further, the culprits were identified and a case was registered against them under sections 191-2 (rioting), 191-3 (rioting while being armed with a deadly weapon) 190 (unlawful assembly and committing an offence with a common object), 223 (disobeying orders given by a public servant), 125 (acts that put human lives in danger), 132 (assault or preventing public servants from performing their duties) 121-2 (causing grievous hurt to a public servant), 121-1 (intentionally causing hurt to public servants while they are performing their duties) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Additionally, Section-3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act for causing damage to public property was also slapped on them.
Mahatta said that the arrested persons were produced before the court and the court has sent them to judicial custody.
The protest was organised at the outskirts of Silchar town on Sunday afternoon, which was participated by nearly 800 locals and the situation turned violent when police stopped the protesters from entering the town area. According to officials, some protesters verbally abused the on-duty cops and also pelted stones at them.
“Most of the protesters were peaceful but a small group was hyper aggressive. They were provoking our officials to beat them and were using abusive language. At one point they started pelting stones and our teams reciprocated with a lathicharge,” the SP said.
“We are not against any peaceful act but breaking the law is not acceptable,” he added.
Following the protest on Sunday, Cachar district magistrate (DM Mridul Yadav imposed some restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the district.
He said that as per the reports submitted by police regarding the law-and-order situation caused by that particular protest has raised serious concerns about the potential disruption of public tranquility, hence, the prohibitory restrictions were imposed across the district.
As per the order, any assembly of five or more individuals without prior permission, organising agitation programmes such as bandhs, rallies, strikes, dharnas, and demonstrations unless officially authorised and use of loudspeakers or high-decibel sound instruments without due authorisation are prohibited until further notice.
Reacting to the protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said, “If the supporters of this law also come out to the streets against the protesters, the situation will worsen. We won’t allow anyone to create such situations here, if you feel this Act is wrong, go to the Supreme Court and challenge it legally.”
