Five cops have been suspended and arrested in Tripura after the death of a 34-year-old tribal man due to alleged custodial torture. Badal Tripura, a resident of Sabroom in South Tripura district, was arrested on Monday and released a day later. He was taken to a hospital as he complained of being unwell but died soon after his discharge. His family has alleged custodial torture led to his death.
Ashok Sinha, Superintendent of Police (SP) for South Tripura, said Sub-Inspector Premjit Ray and constable Rajkumar Tripura, stationed at Manubazar police station, were among the five taken into custody after a complaint from the victim's family.
All five officials have been suspended while departmental proceedings have been initiated against Ray and Rajkumar. Further investigation into the custodial torture charge is ongoing and CCTV footage is being examined, the officer said.
Badal and another tribal man, Chiranjit Tripura, were caught stealing rubber sheets on Sunday. They were detained by the cops, but no charges were filed. The cops arrested them a day later for creating ruckus while drunk, but released Badal the following day.
As he complained of feeling unwell, he was first taken to a local hospital and then shifted to the Shantir Bazar hospital. He died at his home after his discharge later that night.
The man's body had multiple visible injuries, including around his eyes, but it remains unclear when these were inflicted.
His family filed a police complaint on Wednesday accusing the officers of torturing Badal in custody. The incident has sparked widespread protests, with irate locals, including women, staging a demonstration in front of the Manubazar police station.
Protesters also blocked the Agartala-Sabroom National Highway, bringing the traffic to a halt. The man's family members and locals have demanded compensation for Badal's family and that the cops be punished.
A post-mortem examination was conducted in the presence of an executive magistrate to ascertain the exact cause of death.
Additional security has been deployed in the area to control the unrest and senior police officials have visited the affected region.
This is reportedly the third custodial death incident in the past three months with similar cases reported at RK Pur and Nutan Bazar police station.
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