Police briefly took a Rangamatia youth named Ruhul Amin out of the Sonamura playground on September 20 in Sepahijala District of Tripura while looking for another man with the same name in connection with a suspected drug-related case, triggering confusion during a Nesha Mukt football tournament match.
Key Takeaways:
- Police entered the Sonamura playground while a “Nesha Mukt” (Addiction-Free) Football Tournament match was underway.
- Officers questioned a Rangamatia youth named Ruhul Amin but released him after finding that his father’s name did not match their information.
- Rangamatia’s Nahid Eleven Star later defeated Khas Chaumuhani’s Junior FC 6-0 to complete the quarter-final stage.
A routine football match turned unusual at the Sonamura playground on Sunday when police entered the venue looking for a man named Ruhul Amin who was allegedly linked to a drug-related case. Officers found another youth with the same name and took him outside for questioning.
The incident happened during the fourth quarter-final match of the ongoing “Drug-Free Football Tournament” between Nahid Eleven Star of Rangamatia and Junior FC of Khas Chaumuhani. The Police intervention briefly created tension among players, supporters and tournament organisers. In the match, Nahid Eleven Star defeated Junior FC and secure a berth in the semi-finals.
Police search leads to confusion
According to information provided to police, the suspected person was Ruhul Amin from Rangamatia village. Police also had a photograph of the person they were looking for.
Sonamura police station officer-in-charge Tapas Das led the police team to the football ground. Officers went among the supporters of the Rangamatia village team and identified a youth named Ruhul Amin.
The youth was the son of late Harun Mia. Police took him outside the ground and spoke to him for some time.
The officers later realised that his details did not match the information they had received. The father’s name was different from that of the person named in the police information.
Police then released him.
The youth returned to the ground and watched the match until the final whistle.
Protest threatens to interrupt match
The police action initially caused concern among the Rangamatia team members.
The team had reportedly considered refusing to play in protest against the removal of Ruhul Amin from the ground. The development put the tournament organisers in a difficult position as the match was already underway.
The situation was eventually resolved.
Police asked Ruhul Amin to return to the ground and watch the match. The game then resumed and continued without further disruption.
The incident also became a talking point among spectators at the Sonamura playground on Sunday afternoon.
OC explains why police intervened
Speaking about the incident, Sonamura police station OC Tapas Das said the information available to the police mentioned a suspected person named Ruhul Amin from Rangamatia. However, that person’s father’s name was different.
Das said the youth questioned by police was the son of late Harun Mia. After speaking to him and checking the details, officers released him.
The OC also pointed to the photograph available with the police. He said the youth at the ground and the person actually suspected of involvement in the drug trade looked remarkably similar.
That resemblance prompted the police to act.
Das said the police did not want to ignore the information they had received, even though a football match was in progress.
He referred to previous controversy surrounding allegations of links between drug traders and football tournaments or sporting activities in Boxanagar. That experience, he said, made him cautious about taking any chance in the present situation.
The police intervention, therefore, came as part of their duty rather than an attempt to stop the tournament.
Police assure support for remaining matches
After speaking to the youth, the police team left the ground. The match continued normally.
Das also assured that police would provide necessary cooperation during the remaining matches of the tournament.
The tournament carries the “Drug-Free Football Tournament” theme, and the police intervention added an unexpected dimension to the event.
Despite the brief disruption, the day’s football action eventually proceeded to its conclusion.
Nahid Eleven Star seal 6-0 quarter-final win
In the final quarter-final match, Rangamatia village’s Nahid Eleven Star recorded a convincing 6-0 victory over Junior FC of Khas Chaumuhani village.
Nahid Eleven Star controlled the scoring throughout the match. The winning side found the net in the 6th, 9th, 29th, 36th, 45th and 52nd minutes.
The six goals completed a dominant quarter-final performance for the Rangamatia side.
With eight teams taking part in the tournament, the quarter-final stage has now concluded.
First semi-final on September 22
The tournament will now move into the semi-final stage.
The first semi-final is scheduled for September 22. Mohanpur’s Saptarshi Club will face Ashik & DJ XI of Sonamura Kulubari.
The tournament organisers will now look ahead to the next phase after an eventful quarter-final round that combined football action with an unexpected police intervention at the Sonamura playground.
