Tripura HC acquitted two convicts in the 2019 bank manager murder case, citing lack of criminal conspiracy and prior intent. The verdict overturned the lower court’s life imprisonment order against Sumit Banik and Sumit Chowdhury after detailed legal scrutiny.
A division bench of the High Court of Tripura on Tuesday acquitted two men who were earlier sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the 2019 murder of a bank manager, a case that had drawn widespread attention across the state due to the involvement of influential individuals and a police officer.
The acquitted individuals, Sumit Banik and Sumit Chowdhury, had been convicted by the West Tripura District and Sessions Court in 2023 along with two others in the murder case of bank manager Bodhisatwa Das. The High Court, however, ruled that the prosecution failed to prove any criminal conspiracy or “prior meeting of minds” between the two acquitted men and the principal accused involved in the fatal stabbing.
The incident occurred during the night between August 3 and August 4, 2019, near Jackson Gate in Agartala. According to case records presented before the court, Bodhisatwa Das and one of his friends were sitting near the location when traffic police inspector Sukanta Biswas, along with Sumit Banik and Sumit Chowdhury, arrived there in a vehicle.
A verbal altercation reportedly broke out after objections were raised over public misconduct near a medicine shop. The disagreement quickly escalated into a physical confrontation. During the scuffle, another accused, identified as Sohaib Miah, arrived at the scene and allegedly joined the clash.
Senior Advocate Subrata Sarkar, who represented Sumit Banik in the appeal, stated that Miah suddenly produced a sharp knife and attacked the bank manager multiple times. The injured victim was later rushed to hospital by Fire Service personnel, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Before his death, Bodhisatwa Das reportedly gave a statement identifying the accused individuals involved in the incident. Based on his statement and subsequent police investigation, all four accused were convicted by the lower court and sentenced to life imprisonment.
However, during the appeal hearing before the High Court, the defence argued that Sumit Banik and Sumit Chowdhury neither shared any criminal intention with Sohaib Miah nor had prior knowledge about the fatal assault. The defence further contended that the two men had no personal enmity with the deceased and could not be held legally responsible for the independent actions of another individual.
The matter was heard last week by a division bench comprising Justice Dr. T. Amarnath Goud and Justice S. Datta Purkayastha. After examining the evidence and arguments from both sides, the bench concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish the essential element of conspiracy required to uphold their conviction.
Senior Advocate Sarkar stated that the High Court accepted the defence argument that the two acquitted men were only incidentally present at the scene and had no role in planning or executing the fatal attack.
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While the High Court granted relief to Sumit Banik and Sumit Chowdhury, the conviction of principal accused Sohaib Miah remains intact. Sarkar also informed that Sukanta Biswas, another convict in the case, did not challenge the lower court’s verdict before the High Court.
The judgment is expected to trigger renewed legal and public discussion regarding criminal liability, conspiracy laws, and evidentiary standards in high-profile murder trials in Tripura.
