Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, April 03: The media community of Diglipur organized a candlelight march today to condemn the gruesome murder of Mr. Sahadev Dey, an online journalist from Diglipur, and to demand justice for him.
As per reports, the march commenced in front of the Administrative Building, passing through various locations in Diglipur Bazaar before concluding at Dolphin Chowk. Before the procession began, a large gathering assembled at Children’s Park, where attendees paid floral tributes to a photograph of Sahadev Dey and observed a two-minute silence in his memory.
At the end of the march, the crowd regrouped at Dolphin Chowk, where they once again paid respects to Mr. Sahadev Dey’s photograph, which was placed at a traffic island. Many prayed for his soul’s peace. Mr. Bobby, a fellow online journalist and a close associate of Mr. Sahadev Dey, delivered an emotional speech about the tragedy. Overcome with grief, he broke into tears, thanking the assembled crowd for their support. He urged everyone to stand by Mr. Sahadev Dey’s bereaved wife and extend help to her and their two children.
Following the march, a delegation of political leaders, cutting across party lines, met Assistant Commissioner of Diglipur, Mr. Kamleswar Rao S (IAS), urging him to ensure justice for the bereaved family. The ACDP attentively listened to their concerns and assured them that the accused would be punished in accordance with the law and that justice would be served in a timely manner, according to sources.

 

Nishar Mohammed & Vikramaditya
Diglipur, Apr 01: The Superintendent of Police, North & Middle Andaman, Shweta K. Sugathan addressed a press conference today to provide updates on the ongoing investigation into the disappearance and alleged murder of journalist Mr. Sahadev Dey.
According to SP, the police received information on the morning of September 30 that Sahadev Dey, an online journalist, had been missing since the night of September 29, around 8 PM. In response, the Diglipur police team launched a thorough investigation using both technical and human intelligence.
“The investigation has revealed that a man named Mr. Gangaiah, a resident of DB Gram in Diglipur, is a key suspect. He operates a business and is currently constructing a hotel in the area,” stated SP Shweta. She further disclosed that a woman 35, resident of R.K. Gram, is also linked to the case.
She added that Police findings indicate that the lady had relationships with both Mr. Sahadev Dey for the past two and a half years and with Mr. Gangaiah, for the last nine months. The SP claimed that Ms. Sahadev Dey possessed certain videos of the lady, which he allegedly used to pressure her for sexual favors, leading her to confide in Mr. Gangaiah about the situation.
On September 29, Dey reportedly traveled to Rangat, where he was last seen. According to police accounts, the suspect lady arranged a meeting with Mr. Dey at Nehru Yuva Kendra in Diglipur. She was allegedly accompanied by Mr. Rama Subramaniam, a laborer employed by Mr. Gangaiah. The two reportedly attacked Dey, injuring him fatally.
SP stated, “Dey was assaulted with a weapon and later transported in Gangaiah’s vehicle. Another suspect, Mr. M. Ramesh, who works for Gangaiah’s construction company, was also involved. Together, they moved the body to an under-construction hotel owned by Gang, where it was burned on the night of September 29.”
Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the crime, and the police are actively gathering forensic and material evidence. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to confirm details and recover further proof.
Addressing public protests surrounding the case, the SP urged cooperation, emphasizing that maintaining law and order was critical to ensuring a strong investigation.
“We understand the public’s concern, but protests divert resources away from critical investigative work. We need cooperation to focus on collecting evidence and strengthening the case,” she said.

 

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Apr 01: A press conference held by the Superintendent of Police (SP) of North & Middle Andaman regarding the alleged murder of journalist Mr. Sahadev Dey has sparked widespread public outrage at Diglipur. The SP’s remarks during the conference have drawn criticism, particularly from Mr. Dey’s family and his friends, who have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the ongoing investigation.
During the press conference, the SP made statements about the personal life of the deceased journalist, alleging an extramarital relationship. This claim has been met with severe backlash, particularly from Mr. Sahadev Dey’s wife, who categorically rejected these allegations, calling them baseless and disrespectful. “I have complete trust in my husband. These accusations are false and extremely painful. I have no faith in this investigation,” she stated, demanding that the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an impartial probe.
Friends of Mr. Sahadev Dey have also voiced their concerns over the nature of the investigation and the statements made by the police. Many have questioned how the SP could make such assertions when the investigation is still ongoing. One islander stated, “How can the police make such claims without presenting any conclusive evidence? This is an attempt to defame the victim rather than focusing on justice.”
Concerns have also been raised about the forensic process and delays in gathering crucial evidence. Reports indicate that forensic teams were not deployed in a timely manner, leading to fears that critical evidence may have been compromised.
According to the police, the prime accused, identified as Mr. Gangaiah, has confessed to the crime and provided details on how the body was disposed of. However, critics argue that the authorities must provide substantial evidence before making such claims public. Furthermore, questions have been raised about the retrieval of Sahadev Dey’s mobile phone and call records, as they could be key to understanding the events leading to his murder.
Family members, journalists, and civil society representatives are demanding greater transparency in the investigation. Protesters have called for a high-level inquiry into the police’s handling of the case.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, February 17: The elected Members of the PRIs, such as the Zilla Parishad Members, Samiti Members, and the Pradhans of the Gram Panchayats under Diglipur Tehsil, have jointly held a dharna in front of the Administrative Building, Diglipur today.
As per reports, the dharna was in wake of a number of issues that have been reportedly affecting the functioning of the PRIs. The prime points highlighted in the dharna were that there are reportedly unnecessary delays in the respective departmental offices in processing and issuance of work orders, which are reportedly halting ongoing projects, causing a negative impact on community development, the protesters said. The current limits/restrictions on work orders given by the Gram Panchayat to Co-operative societies were another burning issue vehemently raised in the dharna. The necessity of re-establishing the Executive Engineer’s Office in Diglipur was also highlighted in the speech delivered by the protesters.
The protesters were invigorated, and the dharna gathered momentum soon after Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, the Member of Parliament, A & N Islands, joined the protest. Addressing the assemblage, the lone MP strenuously raised all the issues of the PRIs and urged the A & N Administration to address and resolve the issues effectively. In his address, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray said that it is the responsibility of the concerned department to prepare the Fund Utilization Certificate and not the PRIs.
The two govt. quarries in Laxmipur, as well as in Shyamnagar under Diglipur Tehsil, have reportedly been exhausted, and hence the administration should identify sites suitable for exploring/extracting quarry products and allot them on priority in order to accelerate the pace of the developmental works, which had reportedly stalled due to the absence of quarry materials, the MP said. The rundown and neglected state of the NH in N & M Andaman District is reportedly owing to the inaction of the administration, Mr. BP Ray alleged.
In reiteration of his previous statements, the Pramukh, Panchayat Samiti, Diglipur, Mr. Dipankar Mistry, said that he had reportedly written a letter to the Director, RD, PRIs & ULBs, A & N Administration, Sri Vijaya Puram, apprising the authority of these issues and urging them to consider resolving them on priority, but the concerned authority reportedly failed to resolve these issues, he alleged in his speech.
Endorsing the Honourable MP, the Pramukh also advocated the immediate allotment of new quarries by the administration for all developmental works in Diglipur Sub-Division. The Pradhan, GP Subhashgram, said that all developmental work under PRIs have reportedly stopped owing to the negative approach of the administration.
There is reportedly no release of funds in sufficient amounts from the administration to any sector of the Panchayat, and hence, the Pradhan is not in a position to execute the works, he alleged in his speech. Mr. Pradip Das, Zilla Parishad Member, R.K. Gram Constituency, led a scathing attack on the administration and said that there is reportedly an angry backlash from the people over the alleged unsatisfactory service being delivered by the administration, and it may trigger a storm of protests and ultimately social unrest unless the administration satisfactorily delivers services to the public, the ZPM threatened.
The dharna came to an end at around 01:00 p.m., and then Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, the Member of Parliament, led a delegation of PRIs and met the Assistant Commissioner, Diglipur, and apprised the AC of the issues, the report said.
The PRI Members will reportedly continue to hold their dharna for the next two days, the report further said.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Jan. 17: The Pramukh, Panchayat Samiti Diglipur Shri Dipankar Mistry has pressed for early commencement of the Rural Road from Sub-Centre to Shri. Prafullo Dhar House at Gandhinagar, Ward No. 1 & 2 under Swaraj Gram Section CD, APWD, Diglipur.
Speaking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, The Pramukh said that people are residing in this village since 1969 and they were given land license in 2002 by the Deputy Commissioner. And the Panchayat Raj system was implemented in this village in 2010. Gandhinagar Panchayat consists of three villages which are Gandhinagar, Ganeshnagar and Shantinagar, in which there are about 1200 voters. And this proposed road which is to be constructed by the APWD is from the starting point of Gandhinagar village to the last point where the land was given to the people under the colonization scheme, is about 2.64 kilometers long. This is the first and a basic right of that area which will help in connecting the residents of the village with the Diglipur area, Mr. Mistry claimed. There are reportedly about 300 people who are living along and in the proximity of this road were settled with land & license by the government of India and the residents especially school going children, pregnant women, elderly and medical patients have been facing severe inconveniences in in commuting through this earth road, the Pramukh decried. Besides, it is the responsibility of the administration to deliver essential services like road, electricity, water etc to the people settled by the govt. of India, Mr. Mistry maintained.
The Pramukh has recently written a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, A & N Administration, Sri Vijaya Puram and apprised him of the plight of the residents of Gandhinagar village owing to non-existence of a pucca road in the area; and the estimate of this rural road which was poised for approval for a long time has been reportedly recently sent to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, N & M Andaman, Mayabunder and Mr. Mistry urged the CS to impress upon the concerned higher authorities to this effect so that the construction work of the said Rural Road is started without further delay, the Pramukh further added.

 

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, 16, January: Diglipur Farmer Union held a massive dharna in front of the Assistant Commissioner’s Office today to press for their demands.

As per report, the protest was mounted by the Diglipur Farmer Union to press for resolving their demands. The agitation got a support from political parties such as the BJP, Congress (INC) and CPI(M) while Diglipur Merchant Association, Drivers’ Union, N & M Andaman, Auto- Rickshaw Union, Diglipur, Diglipur Travel Union reportedly extended their full support to the dharna. Addressing the gathering, every speaker advocated immediate issuance of fertilizers to the farmers by the Agriculture Department.

Mr. Naresh Halder, a stalwart of the BJP said that there is no restriction from the Central Govt. nor any ban on issuance of chemical fertilizers like DAP and Urea in Andaman islands, it is reportedly the A & N Administration which stopped supplying these two prime fertilizers to the farmers in Diglipur and elsewhere in Andaman, and too without consultation with the farmers and taking them into confidence; and also without introducing an alternative for the same.

As a result of which the farmers are suffering and that needs to be resolved on priority by the Administration, he urged. Mr. P R Singa Ram, Pradhan, (INC) Gram Panchayat Subhashgram said that complaints after complaints have been piling on his table from the farmer community for fertilizer and he is seized of the grievous situation the farmers are in owing to non-issuance of the fertilizers by the concerned Dept. He urged the Administration to seriously take note of the situation and ensure to redress the issue early.

Smti. Alpana Mazumder, newly BJP District President said that it was those days when there was no requirement of the chemical fertilizers for agricultural purposes, but it was the Agriculture Department which reportedly supplied the chemical fertilizers to the farmers against their will and thus gradually the soil became accustomed to applying chemical fertilizers for growing crops.

And now when the farmers are in dire need of the fertilizers, the very department has ceased to supply the fertilizers which is untenable. The officials should realize the situation if the farmers cease to bring vegetables to the market, and hence the administration should gauge the sentiment and their pangs owing to non-availability of the fertilizers and take immediate steps in this regard and supply the fertilizers as soon as possible.

On an interesting note, it was again observed that, whenever this type of public grievance emerged in Diglipur, political parties irrespective of their entities united under one umbrella and fought for the common cause; and this sort of thing was reportedly again visible in today’s dharna as well.

However, talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, Mr. Kamal Halder, President Diglipur Farmer Union said that Mr. Kamleshwar Rao S (IAS), the Assistant Commissioner, Diglipur came down to the dharna site and sat down on the tarpaulin placed on the road for dharna purpose and held talks with Mr. Kamal Halder. The talks between the Assistant Commissioner were reportedly fruitful and the AC gave assurance to fulfil their demand as early as possible, the President Diglipur Farmer Union, said. The AC also reportedly told Mr. Halder, the Director of Agriculture, is expected to arrive from Sri Vijaya Puram to Diglipur shortly to address the farmers’ grievances, Mr. Kamal Halder further added.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, 15, January: Mr. Kamal Halder, President, Diglipur Farmer Union has raised a plethora of issues related to agricultural activities in Diglipur region.
According to information, Diglipur Farmer Union has observed that there are certain unresolved issues which have been crippling the agricultural activities in Diglipur region.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, Mr. Kamal Halder, President, Diglipur Farmer Union said that the farmers of Diglipur haven’t been getting the chemical fertilizers for the last couple of years and hence their agricultural activities are in jeopardy. Moreover, the farmers are facing other problems which need to be redressed, he emphasized.
And since the farmers of Diglipur aren’t reportedly getting the chemical fertilizers such as DAP and Urea, they are not in a condition to grow their agricultural produce, especially vegetables, Mr. Halder claimed. The vegetables grown are badly in need of the fertilizers, and non-availability of the required fertilizers at the moment, the growth of the vegetable plants has ceased and the vegetable plants are in perishable condition, the President informed.
This is peak season for growing vegetables, and if the farmers can’t apply the required fertilizers to the vegetable plants, they (plants) will certainly perish and the stakeholders/farmers will incur a severe loss, Mr. Kamal maintained. On the other hand, the Agriculture Department, Diglipur has reportedly completely stopped supplying of these two chemical fertilizers to the farmers, Mr. Halder alleged. Now the cultivators/farmers are in grave situation without these two chemical fertilizers, he further claimed.
Stray cattle menace, on the other hand, has become a direct threat to the farmers’ cultivation, Mr. Halder said. Herds of feral cows and bulls come out of nowhere at night and invade vegetable fields/farms in a big way. Large groups of these animals completely ravage the fields they enter in, leaving no scope of defence for the farmers.
They destroy standing vegetable plants like ladies finger, chillies, brinjal, beans etc and also prey on vegetables, he informed. The President had appealed to the local administration and higher authorities several times for resolving the issue of cattle menace, but unfortunately no fruitful result yielded as yet, Mr. Kamal Halder alleged.
Apart from this, the Agriculture Dept. has not been reportedly supplying high quality seeds of vegetables, fruits and even paddy for the last 05 years. Hence, the farmers are lagging behind in yielding in high quality produce, Mr. Halder maintained.
The President of DFU further said that the delay in convoy causes severe losses to the vegetables and fruits transported from Diglipur to Sri Vijaya Puram. Vegetables and fruits are perishable items which need timely transportation from one place to another. But, the undesired delay at Middle Strait convoy has been causing severe damages to vegetables and fruits transported from Diglipur to Sri Vijaya Puram and which in turn results in great losses to the farmers, Mr. Halder informed.
The DFU President has written a letter to the Assistant Commissioner, Diglipur apprising him of the issues and urged the AC to resolve them.
However, Andaman Sheekha Daily when posed questions to the Officials of the Agriculture Department on the matter of non-issuance of the chemical fertilizers such as DAP and Urea to the farmers of Diglipur, they said that they aren’t authorized to speak on the matter.
The officials, nevertheless, said that the Agriculture Department is indefatigably working towards promoting organic farming with various initiatives aimed at advancing natural farming practices by the farmer community. In fact, organic farming initiative ensures a healthier ecosystem for both farmers and consumers, they emphasized. As far as the supply of fertilizers to the farmers is concerned, the procurement of Rock Phosphate is in the process, an official source said.
Amid this, the President of the Diglipur Farmer Union further said that the Union has unanimously decided to hold a dharna in front of the Administrative Building, Diglipur and road blockage on 16th January 2025 which will reportedly start at 09:00 am and will last till 03:00 pm; and the Union is also going to keep the Subhashgram Vegetable Market shut on the same day to press for their demands, Mr. Kamal Halder threatened.

Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, January 10: Diglipur Travel Union, Diglipur in support with Drivers’ Union, N & M Andaman, Auto- Rickshaw Union, Diglipur held a massive dharna in front of the Assistant Commissioner’s Office in the morning today to press for early payment of the service of vehicles hired during Lok Sabha Elections 2019 & 2024.
As per report, the protest was mounted by the Unions to press for early payment of the service of vehicles hired during Lok Sabha Elections 2019 & 2024. The dharna gradually gathered momentum after the political leaders from the BJP & Congress Party joined the dharna. Addressing the Administration, Smti. Sunity Halder, Zilla Parishad Member from the Keralpuram Constituency, Diglipur took the District Election Authority, N & M Andaman to task for non-payment of service of vehicles hired during Lok Sabha Elections 2019 & 2024.
She said that vehicle owners and drivers are under severe mental strain owing to non-payment of their bills raised against the service they provided during Lok Sabha Elections. The Administration should understand the gravity of the grievous situation vehicle owners and drivers are in and make the payment early.
Mr. Nikit Das. Youth Congress General Secretary, lashed out at the District Election Authority, N & M Andaman for non-payment of service of vehicles hired during Lok Sabha Elections 2019 & 2024. He said that the Administration should stop the practice of dictatorship and pay the due money to the poor vehicle owners and drivers, without further delay. And it is a people’s right enshrined in the Constitution of India to hold protest and ask for justice, Mr. Nikit said.
Mr. Mitu Das, Pradhan, Gram Panchayat, Ramnagar also lambasted the Administration and said that it reportedly failed on all fronts, be it delivering service to the public or developmental works in A & N Islands. And pigeonholing of payment of the service of vehicles hired from the unemployed youths during Lok Sabha Elections 2019 & 2024 is another example of a debacle and incompetence of the Administration, Mr. Mitu fulminated.
Excoriating at the Administration, Mr. Pradeep Das, ZPM, R.K. Gram constituency advocated the early clearance of the payment to the vehicle service providers to the administration during Lok Sabha Elections 2019 & 2024, and it was not at all good on the part of the District Election Authority, N & M Andaman for holding back the payment for such a long time, he decried. Mr. Dipankar Mistry, Pramukh, Panchayat Samiti Diglipur also joined the dharna and said that the District Election Authority, N & M Andaman hires the vehicles and dinghies during the elections and doesn’t make the payment in time every time, he alleged.
He urged the District Election Authority, N & M Andaman to make necessary arrangements to clear the due payment to vehicle owners and drivers who have been undergoing severe problems owing to the delay of the payment from administration, he spoke in his address. The protestors were seen holding placards with words: Pay Your dues, we are service providers, not to be taken for granted, stop robbing drivers in the name of election, stop misbehaving with drivers, we want justice etc.
The Unions then said that if the Assistant Commissioner, Diglipur didn’t arrive at the dharna site till 12:00 noon and meet the protestors so as to resolve the issue, they would resort to road blockage. Accordingly, when it became 12:00 past five, the protestors were seen to come along with ropes and who then blocked the road with the rope near the Dolphin Chowk on all the three routes. As a result of which the traffic was disrupted for about half an hour. In the meantime the Assistant Commissioner arrived on the scene and engaged into the negotiations with protestors. The Assistant Commissioner then gave them a patient hearing while the President of Diglipur Travel Union Mr. Pratap Chakraborty placed four demands such as- clearance of due payment, expediting, of the process of vehicles’ papers in RTO, arrangement of parking place for vehicles of Diglipur Travel Union and flexibility in charging of challans to vehicles till the clearance of the payment before the Assistant Commissioner. The AC then requested them to sit in his Chamber and discuss the matter peacefully and also requested them to open the road as people stuck in the blockage were suffering.
The protestors then opened the road and a team of delegation composed of the President of Diglipur Travel Union and political leaders from the BJP and Congress sat in the Office of the AC and resolved the issue. As per the report last came in, the AC reportedly gave a verbal assurance to the delegation that the Administration would reportedly clear the due payment part by part and within 15 days the Administration would pay a sizable part of the due payment. The protestors then disbursed, the report further said.