Agartala, Oct 17, 2024, By Our Correspondent
In an extraordinary move five policemen including a Sub Inspector have been arrested forthwith for their alleged involvement in brutal torture of a detained person in police lock at Manubazar police station that led to his death.
Chief Minister said, a Magisterial probe into the incident has also been ordered . He expressed condolence to the bereaved family.
This for the first time that policemen were arrested for murderous torture on an arrested person in custody.
Badal Tripura, 38 and Chiranjit Tripura , 35 from Kaladhepa area were caught while stealing latex from a rubber plantation. They were brought to police station where Badal was allegedly subjected to inhuman toirture and beating by five policemen Sub-Inspector Premjit Roy, constable Rajkumar Tripura, SPO Thailacha Mog, Rengu Mog and Shyamal Das. As the condition of Tripura deteriorated he was rushed to Santirbazar sub-divisional hospital. But from there he was again referred to GB Hospital. His family members took him home as they were facing financial issues. But on Wednesday night Tripura succumbed to his injuries.
Immediately tension swept the village and hundreds of the villagers gheraoed the Manu Bazar police station with the dead body and blocked the National Highway.
As the news reached PHQ instruction was sent to suspend and arrest the five accused policemen and start a thorough investigatrion.
South Tripura district’s Superintendent of Police, Ashok Kumar Sinha while confirming the arrests of Sub-Inspector Premjit Roy, constable Rajkumar Tripura, SPO Thailacha Mog, Rengu Mog and Shyamal Das, based on the complaint received from the victim’s family, assured that a free and fair investigation would be conducted and if the accused were found involved in the murderous torture they would face the punishment. However, he pointed out that as far as CCTV footage was concerned there was no evidence there of the torture.
The SP assured a fair investigation against the accused persons. He also said that in the CCTV footage collected from Manubazar police station there was no evidence of torture by police.
The protestors alleged that Badal died due to police’s torture. They said, there were several external injury marks on the body. They demanded stern action against the persons involved in the incident.
Post-mortem of the youth was also conducted by the doctors in the presence of an executive magistrate.
Additional security forces have been deployed in the Manubazar areas after the resentment of the people over the death. Senior police officials have visited the tension-ridden areas.
Leader of Opposition and CPI-M Tripura state Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury in a letter to Director General of Police (Intelligence) Anurag on October 14 demanded action against the erring police personnel for the "custodial torture".
Talking to the media on Thursday, the Left leader said that during the past few months, many innocent people were lynched by the "goons" of the ruling BJP while more than three people died due to police "torture".
Chaudhury, also a former minister, said in a post on his X handle: "Yet another custodial death in Tripura. Badal Tripura succumbed to the inhumane torture at Manu (Sabroom) PS. This is the 3rd in a row, R.K.Pur, Nutan Bazar and Manu, within the last two and half months. Would Sushason (good governance) be awakened ?"