Police arrested another suspect on Thursday in connection with the attack on the security staff and driver of former State Health Minister Sudip Roy Barman in Agartala on May 1. With this, four persons involved in the incident have been detained.
Tripura Police are investigating the case on the basis of multiple first information reports (FIR). Several accused persons are on the run to evade detention.
Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who holds the Home portfolio, earlier directed top brass of the State police to take action against the perpetrators and bring them to justice. The State’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also condemned the incident.
Mr. Barman, along with another BJP MLA Ashish Kumar Saha, resigned from the saffron party and the State Assembly, and joined the Congress. He went to the residence of a senior lawyer when a group of miscreants attacked his security staff Ramesh Bin, and driver Abhijit Datta. Both suffered injuries and were shifted to a hospital until a strong security contingent arrived to their rescue.
Mr. Bin’s service revolver has been reported missing since the incident.
The attackers, however, did not enter the residence of senior High Court lawyer Somik Deb. Mr. Barman, who was inside, escaped unhurt. He blamed the ruling BJP for organising the attack, a claim the State BJP rejected outright.
Though the incident occurred at the Krishna Nagar locality under the 6-Agartala Assembly constituency, most of the accused persons named in the FIRs hail from the Ramnagar Assembly segment. The injured driver, in his complaint with the police, named an elected Councillor of the Agartala Municipal Corporation for allegedly leading an irate crowd to the scene of the incident.
Preparations are underway to hold by-election in 6-Agartala and three other Assembly constituencies of the State.
A police officer said all the attackers had been identified with the help of CCTV footage installed in the outer boundary of the advocate's residence and that all of them will be arrested.
