After three years and 10 months, the sensational murder of the bank manager Budhisatya Das in the midnight of August 3rd, 2019 last in Agartala, the District and Session court of West Tripura district on Friday announced the judgement and pronounced guilty to all four accused.

On the ill-fated night of August 3rd, 2019 after a boozing party, bank manager Budhisatya Das was stabbed by his friends with a wine bottle and miscreants left him in blooded condition in the middle of road near Jackson Gate area of the city. Later, police and firefighters rushed to the spot and shifted the injured bank manager to GB Hospital in critical condition.

Later, the injured bank manager was referred to a Kolkata based hospital and after battling for life for the last 13 days for healing of grievous stabbing injuries, Budhisatya Das breathed his last on August 16th, 2019 morning.

Based on the FIR filed by his family members, police initially arrested two persons identified as Sumit Chowdhury, a friend of injured bank manager and a noted criminal Omar Sharif alias Sohaib.

During interrogation of both arrested accused, police recorded some startling revelation and based on the confessional statements of them, police arrested the then Police Inspector of Sukanta Biswas, who was posted at the Traffic wing of Dharmanagar and another suspected accused Sumit Banik of Jagaharimura area of Agartala in charges of murder under section 302,326, 341 and 34 of IPC. After police custody for interrogation, all four accused were shifted in jail under custodial trial.

The police team of West Agartala police station, specially the Investigating Officer (IO) Suman Ulla Kazi submitted the charge-sheet with all scientific evidence in a record time. The IO during submission of the charge-sheet, also appealed for custodial trail to all four accused as all are from influential background and they can destroy the evidence or can pose a threat for all witnesses.

Giving details of the three years above long trial of the case, government advocate Samrat Kar Bhowmik said that the witnesses of altogether 56 witnesses recorded in the court and on Friday, the District and Session judge of West Tripura district found guilty of all four accused under section 302 and 34 of IPC, but reserved the quantum of punishment, which will be declared on Saturday 12.30 PM.

“The case has been proved beyond doubt; altogether 56 witnesses gave evidence in court and out of them two identified as Basu Kar who was eye witness and Dr Abhijit Das Gupta of GBP hospital’s trauma centre turned hostile ; despite being eyewitness Basu Kar claimed not to have seen anything while Dr Abhijit Das Gupta said that he had not heard the dead statement of slain Bodhisatya; they were declared hostile and separate proceedings will be drawn against them for bearing false witness’ said public prosecutor Samrat Kar Bhowmik.

Senior advocate Pijush Kanti Biswas who expressed disappointment over the verdict on Friday  said that on the fateful night of August 3rd, 2019 Bidhisatya had consumed alcohol near Jackson gate with Sukanta Biswas, Sumit Chowdhury and Sumit Banik and then he urinated on the veranda of nearby Sarada Medical hall , a pharmacy. His companions objected to this and engaged in an argument and just at that time Omar Sharif alias Shoaib Miah appeared there and took part in the argument. Within a short while Shoaib Miah took out a dagger from his pocket and stabbed inebriated Budhisatya five times in the abdomen.

Biswas said that in his long 45 years practice as a criminal lawyer never saw that a sitting district judge does not have any knowledge of criminal acts and proceedings. Expressing his dissatisfaction over the judgement, Biswas  said that interestingly none of the 56 witnesses said that Sukanta Biswas, Sumit Chowdhury and Sumit Banik had done anything but confirmed that Shoaib Miha had stabbed Bidhisatya.

“We expected acquittal of the accused in view of witness accounts except possibly Shoaib Miah but the verdict has come as a surprise” said Biswas and described the judgment as ‘most illegal’. He said that he had never seen such ‘grossly illegal’ judgment. However, Biswas said that he will file an appeal against Friday’s verdict before the High Court of Tripura.

It may be recalled here that after submission of a charge-sheet within record time of 90 days of the sensational murder of the bank manager Budhisatya Das and amidst court order for custodial trial, in a sudden step all four accused involved in the murder got bail from a local court.

On November 3rd 2019, the additional district and session court (West Tripura) bailed three accused Sumit Chowdhury, Sumit Banik and former police inspector Sukanta Biswas and on next day (November 4th), another prime accused Omar Sharif alias Sohaib also got the bail.

After the unexpected bail orders, the prosecution team filed a review petition challenging the bails for all four accused persons before the High Court of Tripura, which was ordered by the then additional district and session judge Govinda Das.

On November 3rd court had to frame the charges, but on the same day then IO had informed the court that the investigation team had seized a vehicle and collected some documentary evidence related to the case. Seeing fresh investigation process after submission of the final charge-sheet, the court granted bail for all accused.

As per rules of law, after final submission of the charge-sheet, fresh investigation appeal by IO always creates doubts over the investigation and the court on that principal had granted bail for all four accused persons.

But, on December 19, 2019, after the  High Court of Tripura, which has issued stay on bail for all four accused involved in the sensational murder of the bank manager, all accused surrendered before the court of additional session judge (West Tripura) and court again sent them again in jail custody.

Afterward on December 17th, 2019, the justice Arindam Lodh of High Court of Tripura during hearing on the petition filed by police, issued a stay order against bail of all accused persons and ordered that all accused should surrender before the session court.