Tripura sets up panel to probe cases of political violence

AGARTALA: The Tripura government has constituted a high-powered committee under the chairmanship of state law and education minister Ratan Lal Nath to examine the cases of political violence in the state.
The state government has decided to examine all such cases, including old ones. "The family members of victims are claiming for proper investigation of these cases so that actual culprits are punished as per provision of law," the government notification, issued on Friday, states.
The committee also includes principal secretary (law) D M Jamatia and additional home secretary Devananda Reang.They will examine pending petitions of re-investigation of the cases related to political murder and make necessary recommendations.
In the last 20 years, more than 125 cases of political murders have been reported in Tripura. Among those killed were a cabinet minister, an MLA, a sub-divisional magistrate and a top youth leader of Congress. In none of the cases were the identified and punished. Chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb in last 14 months has received several petitions from the victim families, which sought re-investigation of the cases.
Senior CPM leader and former health minister Bimal Sinha was murdered soon after the Manik Sarkar-led Left Front government had come to power in 1998. Two of his brothers were kidnapped by banned NLFT militants and he had gone for negotiation with the militants to get release of the brothers leaving behind of his security.
The militants shot dead Bimal Sinha along with two of his brothers at Abhanga of Dhalai district in North Tripura from point blank range.
BJP leaders said Congress MLA Madhusudhan Saha, Youth Congress leader Debal Deb and SDM Sadar were shot dead in the heart of the city in three separate incidents but the culprits did not get punishment in any of the cases.