Agartala: The main opposition Congress on Wednesday organised protest rallies across Tripura demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into a triple murder at a newspaper office here last month.
“The ruling CPI-M leaders have been influencing the police authorities to protect the culprits…without a CBI inquiry the real culprits would not be punished,” Tripura Congress chief Sudip Roy Barman told reporters.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), in a statement, denied the Congress allegations.
Congress leaders said they had submitted memoranda to all police stations in the Left-ruled northeastern state in support of their demand.
“Our agitation would continue until the Left Front government hands over the case to the CBI,” Barman said.
Police have so far arrested Sushil Choudhury, 73, editor-cum-owner of Bengali daily Dainik Ganadoot, and Niyoti Ghosh, wife of slain driver Balaram Ghosh, in connection with the murder of three employees of the newspaper in its office May 19.
A Tripura court has sent Choudhury and Niyoti to judicial custody.
A police officer involved in the investigation said: “The killings might be related to property or illicit affairs. These are not relating to the editorial policy of the newspaper or any news stories.” Niyoti’s husband, manager Ranjit Choudhury, a former Border Security Force trooper, and proof reader Sujit Bhattacharjee were murdered by two assailants in the newspaper office.
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 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 yesterday, 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. (Agencies)