CBI submits charge-sheet in Tripura journalist murder case

Earlier special investigation team (SIT) had accused four policemen including the battalion commandant Tapan Debbarma in Sudip Datta Bhowmik murder and accordingly, police took the custody of Tapan Debbarma, his guard Nandu Kumar Reang, riflemen Dharmendra Singh and Amit Debbaram.

Meantime, after BJP-IPFT government came in power in March 2018, the investigation was handed over to CBI.

After about a year in November last, the CBI arrested another Tripura Police Service (TPS) cadre, posted as Asst Commandant in Tripura State Rifles (TSR) 3rd battalion Swrupananda Biswas (42) for his alleged involvement in Sudip Datta Bhowmik murder case.

Since SIT had already submitted charge-sheet against four others; the CBI has submitted supplementary charge-sheet accusing Biswas in the court on Jan 10 last.

According to the report, CBI investigation indicated that Sudip was murdered as he had got access to information of corruption, moral turpitude and many illegal activities of the battalion commandant Tapan Debbarma.

Sudip had written a few stories in Syandan Patrika, a leading vernacular daily of Tripura regarding illegal activities and corruption of Tapan Debbarma, which had put him into trouble.

Apprehending bigger trouble if more information comes in the newspaper, Tapan had planned to kill him and accordingly, Sudip was invited in the battalion headquarters near Agartala.

“The investigation further revealed that Assistant commandant of the battalion Swrupananda Biswas who was happened to be the neighbour of Sudip was involved in the planning and conspiracy of murder. Tapan Debbarma’s PG Nandu, riflemen Dharmendra and Amit had carried out the instruction of the bosses to eliminate Sudip,” sources said.

Police sources, however, stated that the planning of Sudip’s murder was planned two days before the incident.

Sudip had a good relationship with the main accused of the case Tapan Debbarma and Swrupananda Biswas and accordingly, Sudip had no hesitation to go when the previous night of the murder Sudip was invited in the battalion headquarters.

After he had gone there, as per the plan of execution, Tapan made out a plot to trigger the situation and both of them had reportedly engaged into an altercation. Immediately, three other riflemen entered into the scene and shot him from a service weapon and had attempted to conceal the body.

But someone inside the camp had immediately passed the information outside and a local journalist and police reached to the spot before they pull out Sudip’s body from the campus.

The bullet-riddled body was recovered from the corner from pull of blood. Police had later, arrested all four including Tapan but Swrupananda was not in the SIT net.

Biswas was Adjutant of the battalion where Sudip was hit by a bullet in presence of him in broad daylight.

After three days long grilling by CBI team, Biswas was arrested on Nov 20 last and he was taken to Kolkata for further investigation. Sudip was murdered exactly two months after the brutal murder of TV journalist Shantanu Bhowmik in a political rally.

The CBI has also been investigating the sensational murder of Shantanu Bhowmik but there is no headway yet. Bhowmik was attacked with sharp weapons during a political clash on September 20, 2017, at Mandai, 25 km from Agartala.

The then Left Front government had constituted two separate special investigation teams with the officers of the state police for investigation but it was not accepted by the journalist bodies.

They had argued in both the cases police was the prime accused then how the same police could ensure fair enquiry. Shantanu was killed in presence of police in Mandai and Sudip was shot dead in TSR camp.

The CPI (M) party had directly accused tribal-based Indigenous peoples front of Tripura (IPFT), which is the ally of BJP in the government now of killing Shantanu but the investigation is still inconclusive.

At the behest of the party in power in that time, police had erased all vital clues in the spot and most vital points of were kept out of the investigation. Finally, Shantanu’s father had to move high court seeking a CBI probe.