Agartala: The opposition Congress on Monday slammed the Left Front government for not arresting two ruling CPI-M legislators alleging they were involved in two ‘criminal cases’.
Senior Vice-President of Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee, Tapas De alleged the two sitting MLAs Shankar Prasad Dutta of Barjala Assembly constituency, here and Tapan Chandra Das of Nalchhar Assembly constituency of Sipahijala district were involved in criminal activities but the government did not take any action against them despite demands by the opposition Congress for their arrest.
On November 12, Dutta had visited the East Agartala police station with followers and allegedly forced officer in-charge Parthasarathi Paul to release two accused nabbed under the Arms Act.
The CPI(M) has distanced itself from MLA Shankar Prasad Dutta.
CPI-M state unit Secretary Bijan Dhar earlier told reporters that the party leadership saw the behaviour of the MLA as shown in local TV footage and did not approve this kind of behaviour having distanced itself from the MLA on the issue.
Police said they registered a suo motu case against the legislator invoking non-bailable Section 353 IPC, but no arrest warrant was issued.
In the second ‘incident’, the service pistol of Nalchhar MLA Tapan Das’s personal security officer, Shyamal Das, had allegedly gone off accidentally and the bullet hit Tapan Das’s sister-in-law Arati in the abdomen on November 14.
The injured lady was rushed to Melaghar hospital and from there to ILS hospital here but neither hospitals informed the police.
Melaghar police station registered a suo moto case and arrested the PSO Shyamal Das on Sunday.
“It seems prima facie that it was really an accidental firing but the matter is still under investigation”, said IG, Police Control, Nepal Das.
However, the Congress has alleged that the MLA might have opened fire from the pistol of his personal security guard for ‘mysterious reasons’ and he should have been booked. (PTI)