A sharp contradiction has emerged between the victim statements and official police claims regarding recent incidents of violence in Sylhet. While victims describe harrowing experiences of mugging, the Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) insists these are personal disputes being mislabeled as robberies.

The Temukhi Incident
Early Saturday morning, a journalist named Raihan Ahmed was attacked in the Temukhi area of Tuker Bazar. Currently hospitalized at Osmani Medical College Hospital, Raihan alleged that three assailants arriving by a CNG-run auto-rickshaw assaulted him before fleeing with his cash and mobile phone.

However, the SMP offered a different version, claiming the incident was not a mugging but a physical altercation stemming from a dispute over auto-rickshaw fare.

The Taltala Video Controversy
This follows another incident on the night of March 12 in the city’s Taltala area, where CCTV footage went viral. The video shows 6-7 youths on three motorcycles intercepting an auto-rickshaw. A pedestrian, 22-year-old Durjoy Adhikari, was chased and severely beaten by the group.

Durjoy alleged his phone was snatched during the assault. While media outlets reported this as a "mugging," police dismissed it as a fallout from a "prior dispute."

Police Warning to Citizens and Media
On Saturday night, the SMP posted a statement on their official Facebook page titled "Regarding False Allegations of Mugging." The post stated:

"It has been observed recently that incidents of brawls or other matters arising from personal disputes are being reported in the media as muggings. This is highly undesirable."

The police urged citizens to be cautious and requested the media to verify facts before broadcasting robbery news, warning that "legal action will be taken" against those spreading misinformation.

Victims and Public React with Outrage
From his hospital bed, Raihan Ahmed stood by his claim. "The auto-rickshaw drivers provided false information to the police to hide their crime. If the suspects are arrested and interrogated, the truth will come out," he said, adding that the Officer-in-Charge of Jalalabad Station had already taken his blood-stained shirt as evidence.

The police’s social media post has triggered a backlash from the public and the journalist community. Journalist Ahmed Shahin commented: "Does an incident automatically cease to be a mugging if it isn't caught on CCTV? SMP is working to curb crime, but not every crime happens in front of a camera."

Another citizen, Azad, questioned the police's logic: "Even if we accept these are personal disputes, isn't stabbing and assault still a crime? Is it not the police’s job to prevent any crime, or is there a rule to evade responsibility by labeling it a 'personal feud'?"

Accountability Vacuum
Despite several high-profile muggings in areas like Housing Estate, Sagardighir Par, and Ambarkhana, the police have struggled to arrest most of the perpetrators, leading to widespread public anxiety.

When asked about the lack of arrests in the Taltala and Temukhi cases, Md. Monjurul Alam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of SMP, told SylhetToday on Sunday: "We found these were not muggings. The victims have not filed formal complaints yet. Police must investigate thoroughly before filing a case or making arrests." He maintained, however, that police are conducting extensive drives to apprehend active muggers in the city.