In a decisive move to thwart potential sabotage and strengthen national security, police across three sensitive districts of North Bengal—Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri—have launched a crackdown on the sale of clothes resembling military uniforms.
The directive, issued by district police authorities, strictly prohibits the sale of garments that mimic the colour, pattern or design of army, air force and paramilitary attire to civilians.
Police personnel have begun making rounds of markets and garment stores over the past few days, issuing stern warnings to traders and tailoring shops. The enforcement initiative gained momentum from Saturday morning, as Cooch Behar district police teams took to the streets to conduct awareness drives and enforce compliance.
Cooch Behar Superintendent of Police Duteeman Bhattacharya explained the rationale behind the initiative, saying, “This preventive measure aims to ensure that no anti-national elements misuse army-style clothing to carry out acts of sabotage or impersonation.”
The move comes against the backdrop of the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack, in which militants disguised in army uniforms killed 26 individuals, including tourists. Intelligence reports suggest that the assailants exploited military attire to evade suspicion.
A similar strategy was employed during the 2016 Pathankot attack, reinforcing concerns that such disguises are being systematically used to infiltrate and deceive.
Further intensifying concern, joint operations by central and state intelligence units in the North-East have unearthed stockpiles of military-style uniforms from militant hideouts, reinforcing fears that such garments are being weaponised by terror outfits.
Given the strategic proximity of Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri to international borders—many of which remain unfenced and porous—the security apparatus has intensified vigilance in border-adjacent areas.
Several towns and villages near these vulnerable points have been marked as “sensitive zones,” where police have increased monitoring and prohibited the sale of all military-pattern clothing to civilians.
Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police Umesh Ganpat Khandabahal said, “We’ve identified specific locations where surveillance and enforcement have been tightened. This will help us track any individual attempting to misuse military-style apparel and act promptly.”
Local traders’ associations have welcomed the move, pledging their full co-operation with the authorities. Cooch Behar District Traders’ Association secretary Suraj Ghosh said, “We have circulated a strict warning among all vendors and tailors—no clothing resembling military uniforms should be sold to civilians under any circumstances.”
In Alipurduar, where garments similar to air force uniforms were reportedly being sold, police have ramped up their enforcement efforts. Several tailoring shops in Jalpaiguri that were making paramilitary-style outfits have also been issued warnings.
Alipurduar SP Y Raghuvanshi underlined the necessity of the step, saying, “Given the volatile security scenario, proactive measures were crucial. We have acted decisively to prevent any potential misuse of such clothing by hostile elements.”
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