Agartala, July 23:
Stepping up pressure on the BJP government over the death of Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag, the Opposition Congress on Thursday staged a symbolic protest outside Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha’s residence, demanding an immediate judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court.
The demonstration, led by senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashish Kumar Saha, saw party leaders and supporters holding flags and banner as they demonstrated a dharna near the Chief Minister’s residence before announcing that they would submit an official memorandum pressing for the inquiry.
A large contingent of police personnel, led by senior officers including the Superintendent of Police (West District), was deployed outside the Chief Minister’s official residence to prevent any untoward incident during the protest.
Addressing reporters, Roy Barman said the Congress was not attempting to create confrontation but was seeking an impartial investigation into the “unnatural death” of the state’s top police officer.
He argued that only a judicial probe headed by a sitting High Court judge could uncover the complete truth behind the incident, including whether the death was a case of suicide, homicide or whether any external pressure had contributed to the circumstances.
“We have lost one of Tripura’s finest IPS officers. The people of Tripura deserve to know what actually happened. Was there any undue pressure? Were there attempts to influence him in sensitive matters such as anti-drug operations or any other issues? These questions cannot be answered through an ordinary investigation,” Roy Barman said.
The Congress MLA alleged that a routine police investigation could remain under administrative influence and might fail to reach the root of the matter.
He maintained that only an independent judicial inquiry would establish the circumstances leading to the DGP’s death and reveal the truth “from A to Z.”
Roy Barman said the demand should be accepted without delay, warning that any decision to order a judicial inquiry after weeks or months could result in crucial evidence being lost.
“If a judicial inquiry is announced after all the evidence disappears, it will serve little purpose. The order must be issued immediately,” he said.
Claiming that the Opposition was extending cooperation rather than confrontation, Roy Barman urged the Chief Minister to act promptly in the interest of transparency and public confidence.
The Congress leaders later said they would formally submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister reiterating their demand for an immediate judicial inquiry into the death of DGP Anurag.
