Congress demands CBI probe into Tripura cop killing case

Talking to the media, Congress convener Subal Bhowmik alleged here today that police is reluctant to arrest the main accused due to political pressure.

Bhowmik alleged that the vehicles were carrying narcotic items for smuggling but when the policeman attempted to catch them, the suspected smugglers hit him with their vehicles. The owner of the racket is a family member of elected public representative from BJP, he added.

He said that the same group ransacked the Sonamura Press Club on Nov 24 night and looted some valuable items. According to him, about 10 months ago a murder was attempted on a journalist of Sonamura by the same group, when he chased a security force vehicle on the suspicion of carrying contraband, but so far there was no progress in the case.

“There were three vehicles but only one was detained. Even after three days, police is silent about other vehicles that are still at large and is desperately trying to save the actual criminals involved in the murder of the sub-inspector and drug peddling activities under the BJP's pressure,” Bhowmik alleged, adding that a section of police was also involved in the racket.

Sub-inspector Durga Kumar Hrangkhawal (55) was killed after he was hit by the speeding vehicles he tried to stop in the border road at South Kalamchoura area between Sonamura and Boxanagar in the early hours Nov 23. The incident has triggered demand across Tripura for immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

Countering allegations of inaction, police said one Asan Mia, owner of one of the three vehicles, was arrested and investigation is progressing well and all the accused persons would be booked soon.

Meanwhile, in a joint operation of Tripura police and Border Security Force (BSF) yesterday, a huge quantity of cannabis worth Rs 78 lakh was seized from a container truck bearing registration of Haryana from Chandpur area along Assam-Tripura border and driver of the vehicle Badal Deb (39) of Maharanipur in Teliamura was arrested.

The truck was going towards Assam, and during the search a total of 88 packets containing 10 kg dry cannabis each were seized from the vehicle. The initial investigation revealed that the cannabis was being transported from Tripura to Guwahati. Police, however, did not detail the source of the consignment and the destination.

Earlier, Director General of Police A K Shukla claimed that as many as 611 drug smugglers, including some policemen were arrested, 433 cases were registered, and 3 kg heroin, 65,000 cannabis and 80,000 narcotic tablets were confiscated in the past one and half years in Tripura.