Santanu Bhowmick was a journalist at 'Dinrat' news channel
Highlights
- Santanu Bhowmick was a journalist with 'Dinrat' news channel
- He was covering an agitation by Indigenous People's Front of Tripura
- Police have imposed restrictions on large gatherings in the area
A journalist from a local TV news channel was today kidnapped and killed in West Tripura district while covering the agitation and road blockade by the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), the police said.
Superintendent of Police of West district, Abhijit Saptarshi said Santanu Bhowmick, a journalist from 'Dinrat' news channel, was covering the agitation and road blockade by the IPFT at Mandai when he was hit from behind and kidnapped.
Later, Mr Bhowmick was found with serious injuries and was rushed to Agartala Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, the SP said.
Tripura Health Minister Badal Chowdhury condemned the killing and state Information Minister Bhanulal Saha visited the hospital.
The SP said the situation at Mandai was tense.
Orders restricting gathering of four or more people were already in force in the area and more police personnel were being rushed, he said.
Over a hundred activists of the Gana Mukti Parishad (GMP), the tribal wing of the ruling CPM, were yesterday injured in a clash with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) at Chhankhola area of Khowai district, about 40 km from Agartala.
The CPM has reacted to the incident.
BJP's Tripura unit also commented on the incident.
Khowai Superintendent of Police Nagendra Debbarma told reporters that the clash took place when the Parishad supporters gathered at the bus stand at Khowai town to travel to Agartala for a GMP rally.
The IPFT workers attacked the GMP activists with sticks and iron rods and injured at least 118 of them, six seriously, and damaged at least 15 buses.
Personnel from the Tripura State Rifles and Assam Rifles were deployed in sensitive areas of the district and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC imposed in Tulashikhar and Rajnagar apprehending breach of peace, the SP said.