In the first cabinet meeting of the newly-elected government of the northeast Indian state of Tripura chaired by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on March 10, the legal process of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe has been initiated into the murders of journalists Santanu Bhaumik and Sudip Dutta Bhaumik.
Following this decision, the agitation led by the Tripura Protection of Journalists’ Forum to express solidarity with the murdered journalists, in front of Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan for 171 days has been officially withdrawn in the presence of the Tripura chief minister, Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath and the Forum’s President Subal Kumar Dey.
Pranab Sarkar, general secretary of Tripura Journalists’ Union, welcomed this move by the new state administration.
In the agitation-withdrawal ceremony, the chief minister said, “Tripura’s journalists have played huge role in the formation of this government. Owing to your (journalists) efforts, the people of Tripura have been awakened.”
Santanu Bhaumik was murdered in Mandai of Jirania sub-division on September 21, 2017. Sudip Dutta Bhaumik was murdered in the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) headquarters on November 20, 2017.
CBI is the premier investigating agency of India. It has been known across the country to investigate several economic crimes, special crimes, and cases of corruption and other high-profile cases.
