Following the mysterious death of a 22-year-old woman on Wednesday midnight employed at Shantiniketan Medical College in Maheshkhala area of Agartala, own by Moloy Pit, a trusted aid of West Bengal’s tainted Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal ,which has triggered widespread public concern and political controversy, prompting the Tripura government to order a magisterial inquiry into the incident and on Friday police has arrested her alleged boyfriend.
Based on the FIR lodged by the father (Biswajit Das) of victim girl Manisha Das (22), the Amtali police station has arrested her alleged boy friend Prasenjit Sarkar on Friday and produced him before a local court with five days police remand appeal.
The victim, Manisha Das was found dead on the medical college campus late on the night of June 10. Shantiniketan Medical College is owned by Moloy Pit, an associate of West Bengal Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal.
Acting on an FIR lodged by the victim's father, Amtali Police on Friday arrested Manisha's alleged boyfriend, Prasenjit Sarkar, and produced him before a local court, seeking five days' police remand.
According to the government advocate, the victim's father alleged in his complaint that Sarkar had frequently subjected Manisha to mental harassment and had allegedly extorted between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 30,000 from her while threatening her.
Meanwhile, the last rites of Manisha Das were performed on Friday at her ancestral village near Agartala amid scenes of grief, with family members, relatives, and hundreds of villagers paying their final respects.
Speaking to reporters, Manisha's mother alleged that her daughter had been murdered and accused certain authorities of the medical college of involvement. She specifically named Dr. Radhika Roy, claiming that the doctor was responsible for her daughter's death.
"I want justice for my daughter and the strictest punishment for all those responsible. I also want action against Dr Radhika Roy," she said, while appealing to Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha to ensure a fair investigation.
The victim's family has consistently maintained that Manisha was murdered and has demanded a thorough and impartial probe. Their allegations have intensified public concern, with many drawing comparisons to recent crimes against women in institutional settings.
Congress demands judicial probe:
The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on Friday demanded a high-level and impartial investigation under the supervision of a High Court judge into the young woman's death.
In a statement, the Congress alleged that the incident was part of a broader pattern of crimes against women in the state and claimed that several such cases over the past eight years had remained unresolved due to the influence of politically connected individuals.
Referring to Manisha's death, the party questioned the circumstances under which her body was recovered from a locked hostel room and alleged that visible injury marks had been found on her legs. The Congress also expressed doubts about the police's initial assessment that the case was one of suicide.
The party further claimed that the victim's family was informed about the incident after a considerable delay and criticized what it described as a premature attempt by police authorities and the State Women's Commission to characterize the death as suicide before a comprehensive investigation had been completed.
According to the Congress, several aspects of the case require closer scrutiny. The party alleged that Manisha had recently become aware of certain irregularities linked to the medical college and had reportedly been discussing issues beyond her official responsibilities.
The Congress also questioned why she frequently stayed in the hostel despite living close to her family residence and raised concerns about alleged activities within the institution that may warrant investigation.
Additionally, the opposition party criticized the speed of the post-mortem examination and expressed concern over what it termed a lack of transparency in previous investigations involving serious crimes against women in the state.
The party urged Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and senior police officials to ensure a fair and transparent investigation free from political interference, stating that only an impartial probe could restore public confidence and uncover the truth behind the young woman's death.
CPI (M) raises questions:
The state's principal opposition party, CPI(M), has also raised serious concerns regarding the incident.
Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) State Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury said the circumstances surrounding the death had raised significant questions among various sections of society. Referring to allegations by the victim's family that it was a planned murder rather than suicide, he called for a fair, transparent, and unbiased investigation.
Government orders magisterial enquiry:
In response to the growing controversy, the Tripura government on Thursday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
According to the official order, Dr. Vishal Kumar, District Magistrate of West Tripura, has been directed to conduct a detailed inquiry into all aspects of the case and submit a report to the Home Department within 15 days.
Manisha Das had previously worked as a caretaker at the medical college and was recently assigned to its Examination Cell.
Police recovered her body from the college premises late Wednesday night. Following the incident, investigators reached the spot and initiated an inquiry to determine the circumstances leading to her death. On Thursday morning, in the presence of family members and college authorities, the body was sent to GB Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Before the final autopsy and forensic reports were available, SDPO (Amtali) Paramita Pandey stated on Thursday that the preliminary investigation suggested that Manisha had died by suicide through hanging inside the medical college complex.
However, the victim's family and opposition parties have strongly disputed that conclusion and demanded a comprehensive investigation.
Meanwhile, local sources have alleged that Manisha may have been sexually assaulted and murdered on the medical college premises. These claims remain unverified and are currently under investigation by the authorities.