Bharat Ratna club secretary murder: Pradyot, Sushmita in JC, Birchakra again in police custody
Two accused arrested after the sensational murder of club secretary of Bharat Ratna Sangha of Usha Bazar, Durga Prasanna Deb alias Viki, who was shot dead on April 30 night were sent for days jail custody after series of police remand.
Giving details, special public prosecutor Shankar Lodh said that two accused persons including Pradyot Dhar Chowdhury and Sushmita Sarkar were produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (West Tripura) and the prosecution team appealed for their jail custody. After hearing, the court sent both of them for 15 days jail custody and another accused Birchakra Ghosh, younger brother of prime accused Prabakar Ghosh was again sent for six days police custody.
Earlier, on Saturday (May 11) , the Agartala city police on Saturday produced shooter cum one of the prime accused Sandip Kar alias Akash before the court with ten days police remand appeal involved with the sensational murder of club secretary of Bharat Ratna Sangha of Usha Bazar, Durga Prasanna Deb alias Viki.
The police investigation team on May 9th last has arrested Sandip Kar alias Akash (35) of Usha Bazar area from a railway station in Jharkhand state, but after two days, police has revealed his arrest and produced him before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (West Tripura) on Saturday, who was brought with transit remand from Jharkhand.
Special public prosecutor Shankar Lodh said that the fifth accused arrested in the sensational murder of Viki was produced before the court of CJM with ten days police remand for interrogation, who was among the prime accused and a shooter of the shootout incident.
After hearing both prosecution and defense team, the court granted five days police remand and the court also rejected bail petition filed by Akash’s lawyer.
Advocate Lodh said that based on the CCTV footage recovered from the scene of crime, accused Akash was seen escaping from the spot after the incident and within 30 minutes of the shootout, he was again seen escaping from his house in Usha Bazar with his wife and a child in a car.
Since then, police was tracking his movement and finally on May 9th, he was arrested from Jharkhand, said Lodh and added that arrested another accused Sushmita Sarkar had also confessed that during the incident Akash was present and she has also identified him after reviewing CCTV footage and shooter Akash will again produce before the court on May 16 next.
Police sources said that the arrest of Akash Kar , is a big success for Tripura police and as per the CCTV footage recovered nearby areas of the scene of crime, Akash shot Viki from point blank range.
Police sources said that the investigation team with orders of Magistrate had conducted massive search operations at the houses of many accused including Raju Barman, Biman Das, Prabakar Ghosh, Amit Ghosh, Debabrata Barman, Rakesh Barman and Deb Das on Tuesday(May 7th).
During the search operation, the police has found few houses of the accused persons were locked and police in presence of DCM of West Tripura district has opened the locks of the houses including prime accused Raju Barman at Buddha Mandir area of Agartala and other houses located in Usha Bazar area under Airport police station.
Sources said that police have also appealed before the court to issue permanent non-bailable arrest warrants against all FIR named accused persons, who were locally infamous as negotiation mafias.
So far only five accused persons including Pradyot Dhar Chowdhury, Sushmita Sarkar ,Birchakra Ghosh, younger brother of one prime accused Prabakar Ghosh ,Sunny Saha, brother-in-law of accused Raju Barman and Akash Kar were arrested, who are now in police custody and in jail custody.
The investigation team so far was unable to arrest the remaining half-dozen of accused including some noted negotiation mafias, but claimed that investigation was in the final stage and would soon resolve the murder mystery.
It may be recalled here that after the shootout, on May 1st, the investigation team of Airport police station has arrested former club president of Bharat Ratna Sangha, Pradyot Dhar Chowdhury from Usha Bazar and based on the interrogation statement of Chowdhury, police on Thursday (May 2) night arrested one of the prime accused and alleged mastermind of the murder, Sushmita Sarkar (22).
Special Public Prosecutor Shankar Lodh said that after the sensational murder on Tuesday evening (April 30) at Shalbagan area under Agartala Airport police station, police have registered an Suo-Moto FIR under section 302, 120(B) of IPC and 27 Arms Act against assailants.
The shootout at Shalbagan Bazar was committed only with prime reason of growing rivalry among different groups of negotiation mafias and the North side of Agartala city has once again shaken the cantonment area of Shalbagan , in which club secretary of Bharat Ratna Sangha shot dead, which mainly committed for a share of money of negotiation for CPW contracts.
Viki’s wife said that negotiation mafias including Raju Barman, Biman Das, Rakesh Barman, Debabrata Barman, Santosh, Amit Ghosh and Prabakar Ghosh were responsible for the killing of her husband and she had also named these persons in the FIR.