21 Arrested in Assam’s Goalpara district for indulging in violence during eviction drive

Twenty -one people have been arrested on charges of indulging in violence during an eviction drive in Assam’s Goalpara district on Thursday.

The Paikan Reserve Forest, long encroached upon by settlers, has been at the center of land conflict, with eviction attempts repeatedly facing resistance from local residents.

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On Thursday, what was meant to be a routine eviction exercise turned chaotic when a group of residents, allegedly opposing the drive, clashed with security forces.

Police personnel were reportedly attacked with stones and sticks, prompting the administration to step up its response.

In a swift crackdown, security forces launched a late-night operation across the Krishnai region on Friday, arresting 11 more individuals believed to be involved in the violence.

With these latest arrests, the number of people detained in connection with the incident has risen to 21.

Police sources revealed that several suspects have fled to nearby areas within Goalpara in an attempt to evade capture.

Additional security personnel have been deployed in and around the eviction site to prevent further escalation. The district administration, meanwhile, remains on high alert.

The eviction drive is part of the state government’s larger push to reclaim forest and government land from alleged illegal encroachers. Paikan Reserve Forest, in particular, has witnessed repeated cycles of settlement and eviction, with the area emerging as a flashpoint for land and identity-based tensions in the region.