CBI books MLA, two others in Tripura journalist's killing
Agartala, July 2: The CBI has booked three tribal leaders, including an MLA, for the murder of television journalist Santanu Bhowmik in 2017, an official said.
The official said that the three were Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) legislator Dhirendra Debbarma and party leaders Balram Debbarma and Amit Debbarma, apart from 300-500 IPFT members.
The IPFT is a tribal party and an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It has eight MLAs in the 60-member Tripura Assembly and two Cabinet ministers in the BJP-led ministry led by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.
Miscreants allegedly owing allegiance to the IPFT had on September 20, 2017 murdered Bhowmik at Mandwai, 25 km from Agartala. Bhowmik, 27, was attacked with sharp weapons while covering a road blockade by the IPFT, which is demanding a separate tribal state.
IPFT Vice President Ananta Debbarma told IANS that the party will comment later.
A newspaper journalist, Sudip Dutta Bhowmik, was also shot dead inside the Tripura State Rifles 2nd Battalion headquarters at Ramchandra Nagar in West Tripura district on November 21.
The then Left Front government had set up two SITs to probe the two killings.
The SIT arrested four TSR personnel -- including TSR 2nd Battalion Commandant Tapan Debbarma, who is a senior Tripura Police Service (TPS) officer and was waiting for IPS nomination regarding Sudip Dutta Bhowmik's killing.
The trial in the Sudip Dutta Bhowmik murder case started last month in the West Tripura District Additional District and Session Judge's court but it was stopped following orders by the Tripura High Court.
The BJP-led government told the High Court in May that it had referred the matter to the CBI.
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Truck-rickshaw collision in Bihar kills three people, injures three others
Patna: A speeding truck rammed into an auto rickshaw carrying passengers near the Pragati Petrol pump within the jurisdiction limits of the Chhabilapur Police Station of Nalanda district on Wednesday, resulting in the death of three people on the spot and three others being grievously injured.
The deceased are identified as Kanchan Devi, Dilip Kumar and Bindi Prasad. The injured individuals, Priyanka Devi, Rinki Devi and Ravi Ranjan Kumar, were initially treated at the Rajgir sub-divisional hospital, but, as their condition was critical, they were shifted to the Pawapuri Medical College and Hospital, as advised by the doctors at the Rajgir hospital. While the medical report states that the condition of all the injured is stable, the incident has caused immense distress among their families.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Sunil Kumar Singh, Sub-divisional Police officer Kumar Omkeshwar, Inspector Sanjay Kumar and Chhabilapur and Rajgir Police Station inspectors visited the hospital and inquired about the three people injured in the accident, reports NDTV, adding that the police are investigating the case.
Sanjay Kumar, SHO of the Chhabilapur Police Station, said that they have registered a case against the driver of the truck for rash and negligent driving. The officer added that the driver was absconding since the accident occurred.
The victims were traveling in an auto rickshaw from Rajgir to Barnaussa on Wednesday, when the accident occurred. The eye-witnesses have called the truck-rickshaw collision as severe, adding that it gave rise to chaos and panic at the accident site.
The accident highlights the persistent problem of reckless driving on Bihar's roads, which frequently results in major casualties, including fatalities. The families of the people affected by the accidents have been urging swift justice and proper support for the victims. The local administration has assured to implement necessary measures to ensure safety of road users and bring those responsible for the accident to justice.
