Agartala: The editor-proprietor of Tripura daily ‘Dainik Ganadoot’, Sushil Chowdhury, who was arrested in connection with the killing of three newspaper employees at his office, was admitted to Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) following cardiac problems.
Attending doctors said 72-year-old Chowdhury is diabetic and a patient of a serious cardiac ailment.
He was admitted on Monday and shifted to the intensive Care Unit (ICU) following cardiac problems, sources said. He was arrested on Friday for his alleged involvement in the triple killing, and was remanded the next day to three days judicial custody.
When a bail petition was moved by his lawyer Pijush Biswas at the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate B Palit , the Assistant Public Prosecutor pleaded for seven days police custody.
The judge ordered that Chowdhury be produced before the court on June 15 if he had recovered and then matters related to his bail would be taken up. The driver of the editor’s vehicle, Balaram Ghosh, manager Ranjit Choudhury and proof reader Sujit Bhattacharjee were killed inside ‘Dainik Ganadoot’ building on May 19.
On Monday police had submitted the case dairy and according to court order Mr Choudhury was supposed to be appeared before the court yesterday but police could not make him present.
The public prosecutor Tapan Saha alleged in the court that to avoid police remand and further quizzing in police custody Sushil Chowdhury, prime accused of the sensational triple murder case on May 19, claimed to have contracted chest pain and giddiness and shifted to hospital though doctors stated him normal.
However, after hearing both the parties and examining the case dairy at around 8 o’clock in night CJM Biswajit Palit extended his judicial remand and asked police to bring him into the court as soon as doctors release him from the hospital.
“Sushil Choudhury in connivance with a section of doctors and police with the instruction of some vested political quarters staged the drama to avoid police remand and though he is shifted to ICU, he having mobile phone and other luxuries. If he manages 14 days then police can’t bring him in the remand and we shall be deprived of justice,” said slain Ranjit Choudhury’s daughter Sharmista.
“We are prepared to seek his police remand for further questioning because he left many questions unanswered; besides, a number of new angles have emerged and he needs to be quizzed further for clarifications,” said a senior police official.
He suspected that Sushil Chowdhury had feigned sickness to avoid appearance in court and police remand. The magistrate had sought the case diary before passing the order on police remand on last Friday.
Apart from this, police have come upon a new angle in the course of investigation which bears out their suspicion that the triple murder in the ‘Ganadoot Patrika’ office was an insider job.
A senior police official of the investigating team revealed driver of the editor Balaram Ghosh (38) had killed Manager Ranjit Choudhury in the upstairs and while coming down he murdered proof reader Sujit Bhattacharya (30) in presence of Balaram’s wife Niyati Ghosh and Mr Choudhury.
But police could not able to reach any definite conclusion who Niyati or Sushil killed Balaram, the officer said. (Agencies)