A furious mob thrashed a doctor in Rongram Bazar village of Meghalaya, Tuesday, after he allegedly started extorting money from vendors and shopkeepers in the market.

According to reports, the doctor, identified as Jimmy Carter Sangma, along with three other associates, started demanding money from vegetable vendors and other shopkeepers claiming he owned the land on which they had set up stalls in Rongram market.

The vegetable vendors paid him the extortion money but the meat vendors refused to budge and a scuffle ensued. Soon, a large mob gathered and along with the vendors in the market thrashed doctor and his three aides.

The irate mob vandalized Sangma’s car, lifted it off the road and dumped it into the nearby Ganol river. The doctor’s three accomplices managed to flee the scene as police arrived on the spot and took Sangma to the police station.

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However, the angry mob reached the police station and demanded that police hand over Sangma to them.

Police said that the doctor was detained and taken to a hospital for treatment.

Reportedly, the doctor Jimmy Carter Sangma is a notorious figure in the area and is often in the news for the wrong reasons.

Earlier, the doctor was arrested for his activities as ‘Defence Secretary’ of GNLA militant group during the outfit’s heyday.

Doctor Sangma was also allegedly involved in the purported rape and abduction of a minor girl. Sangma, who is already married, had claimed that he was in love with the school girl who, according to reports, went missing while on her way to school.

Sangma was nabbed, a day later, along with the minor girl on the outskirts of Shillong.

Reports quoting police sources said that a case in this regard was registered against him and the is currently under investigation.

Meghalaya-based local media reports have said that the doctor, who was sacked after the scandal, was reportedly reinstated and is currently working at the Williamnagar CS office.

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A first-of-its-kind ‘Trans Tea Stall’ was thrown open, Friday, at the Guwahati Railway station. The tea stall will be wholly managed and run by transgender persons.

A Northeast Frontier Railway official said that the tea stall—christened ‘Trans Tea Stall’—was opened in the Kamrup (M) Deputy Commissioner Office compound in Guwahati in the state government’s bid to empower transgenders and marginalized communities, adding that the outlet will be entirely managed and run by trans people.

The official said that Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) General Manager Anshul Gupta, inaugurated the ‘Trans Tea Stall’—which was done with the active collaboration of the All-Assam Transgender Association—at platform number 1 of Guwahati railway station on Friday in presence of Swati Bidhan Baruah, Associate Vice Chairman of the Transgender Welfare Board of Assam.

Speaking on the occasion, Anshul Gupta noted that the NFR, under their initiative for the empowerment of transgenders, is the first of its kind for the community. He said that it’s the first such initiative in any Central government organization and NFR, adding that more initiatives like this will be undertaken in the future.

The official said the NFR is planning open more trans tea stalls at other railway stations in the region.

Swati Bidhan Baruah, the founder of All-Assam Transgender Association, said in a statement that the tea stall is aimed to empower the trans community of Assam and help them learn entrepreneurial as well as business communication skills. Baruah added that the initiative will also help the trans community to have a better source of income.

A comprehensive scheme for Transgenders “Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” including a sub-scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for the Welfare of Transgender Persons, has been approved by the Centre.

The ‘Trans Tea Stall’ initiative was hailed by social media users who hailed the initiative to empower the marginalized transgender persons across India.

Dr Manik Saha was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Tripura for the second consecutive term today along with a team of eight other ministers in his cabinet in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda in Agartala.

The ceremony was also attended by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khanda, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Sikkim Chief Minister PS Tamang. Former Tripura CM Biplab Deb, who was replaced by Saha mid-term last year, also shared the stage with the BJP bigwigs.

Eight other ministers were also sworn-in today. Four ministers from the previous Saha-led government— Ratan Lal Nath, Pranajit Singha Roy, Shantana Chakma and Sushanta Chowdhury—have retained their position while three new ministers—Biplab Deb-confidante, Tinku Roy, BJP Scheduled Tribes Morcha chief Bikash Debbarma Morcha, and Sudhanshu Das also took oath along with the saffron party’s ally Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), who scored a single seat in the polls, received one ministerial berth in the ranks.

IPFT’s Sukla Charan Noatia took oath as minister.

Reports quoting sources said that the BJP has kept aside three ministerial berths for Tipra Motha, who secured 13 seats in the February 16 election. Earlier, talks between the BJP and Tipra Motha, led by former royal Pradyot Manikya Debbarma, broke down over the tribal party’s demand for a ‘Greater Tipraland’.

As per reports, Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik will hold on to her parliamentary seat and vacate the Dhanpur Assembly seat she won in this election.

The opposition CPM and the Congress decided to boycott the swearing-in ceremony to protest against post-poll violence in the northeastern state.

Saha replaced Biplab Kumar Deb in 2022 to steer the BJP to victory in this year’s assembly polls in what was seen as a multi-cornered contest in the northeast state.

Manik Saha on Monday called on Tripura Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya to stake claim to form the government. Earlier, at a general meeting of all newly-elected BJP MLAs, Saha was unanimously chosen as the leader of the legislature party.

The doctor-turned politician expressed his gratitude after the decision in the meeting. In a tweet, Saha said: “My sincere gratitude to all for electing me as the leader of the legislature party. Under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi ji, we shall work together to build ‘Unnata Tripura, Shrestha Tripura’ and ensure the welfare of all sections of people.”

BJP ran roughshod over the opposition in the northeast state by securing an absolute majority in the assembly elections. The saffron party won 32 seats in the 60-member house and registered a vote share of around 39 percent, as per the Election Commission.

BJP ally IPFT (Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura) managed to secure a single seat. Communist Party of India (Marxist) got 11 seats while Congress bagged three.