CPI accuses BJP of inducting slain journalist’s murder suspects

Slain Tripura journalist Shantanu Bhowmik’s mother sought police protection after receiving alleged death threats on Tuesday even as the Left Front accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of inducting two youth leaders from an indigeneous political party, also suspects in Bhowmik’s murder.

The ruling party demanded that the BJP hand over the duo to the police at the earliest.

Five youth leaders from the Indigeneous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) — which has raised the demand for a separate state called Tipraland — joined the BJP at its party headquarters on Tuesday.

The CPI(M) has alleged that two of the five — Ramendra Debbarma and Hasrai Debbarma — were involved in the scribe’s murder.

“BJP has started dirty politics by inducting the two murder accused. Both Ramendra and Hasrai were absconding murder suspects as mentioned in the charge sheet submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). We demand that the BJP immediately hand over them to the SIT,” CPI(M) central committee leader Goutam Das said.

Shantanu was killed amidst political violence on September 20 last year in West Tripura.

Contradicting the Left Front’s allegation, BJP said they did not have any such information.

“These IPFT youth leaders themselves expressed to join our party. But, we don’t have any information with us about their link to Shantanu Bhowmik’s murder case,” said BJP chief Biplab Deb.

The IPFT and the BJP are in discussions for an alliance ahead of elections in the state later in the year.

In another development, Bhowmik’s mother, Papri Nag Bhowmik, filed a complaint with the police on Tuesday saying she was receiving death threats.

According to the complaint, she received a threat on Tuesday from a person who introduced himself as Babul. She was with her elder sister and daughter at the time. She also provided the number that the call came from.

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