Rabong residents rally with calls for ‘Tibetans army Go Back’, 5 arrested

Following to a day after football match turned into a brawl between SSF Army (mostly consisting of Tibetan Settlers) in crowd and Indian Reserve Battalion, residents from Rabong carry out a protest rally with the call for ‘Tibetans Go back’.

In the process Sikkim police arrested five Tibetan settlers Rabong on Sunday. Three Indian Reserve battalion personnel were injured, with one referred to STNM Hospital Gangtok, one referred to Namchi District Hospital and one in Rabong health centre.

Rabong residents rally with calls for ‘Tibetans army Go Back’

An FIR has been filed by an IRBn Personnel under Indian Penal Code sections 353 Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, IPC 341 Punishment for wrongful restraint, IPC 332 Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty, IPC 186 Whoever voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both, and IPC 34 Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.

Sikkim Police Sub Inspector Rajiv Shanker Bhujel along with six IRBn personnel were deputed at Victoria Cross Ganju Lama Senior Secondary School during the semi-final game of Independence football tournament on Saturday.
The incident occurred during the football game between 3rd IRBn Manglay versus Army United (SFF Rabong).

The fourth official of the football game informed SI Rajiv Shanker Bhujel that some of the crowd who were suspected to be the supporter of army united team (Special Frontier Force Rabong) were pelting stones at the dugout of 3rd IRBn Manglay players on Saturday.

IRBn personnel went to that part of the ground wherein some unknown person(s) entered the ground and surrounded the duty personnel from all sides and physically assaulted them, mentions the statement from Sikkim Police on Sunday.

On the protest that followed in Sunday with calls for ‘Tibetans Go Back’ in Rabong, Sikkim Police DIG and Spokesperson Tashi Wangyal Bhutia, informed, “The protest in Rabong was not really a rally, but more of a gathering of Rabong residents. It was not pre planned, they were outraged at the whole incident.”

“They dispersed after the arrests were made. Those arrested were from the Tibetan Army. There could be more arrests that could happen. We do not have a number on the people involved. There were three cops who were injured, with one taken to Gangtok, another one in Namchi and one is in Rabong. They are seriously injured, we cannot tell the extent as they are under medical examination. All three are IRBNs”. he added.

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