A division bench of the Tripura High Court, led by Chief Justice M S Ramachandra Rao, on Thursday condemned senior officials of the state home department and police for allegedly providing false information and attempting to mislead the court in a case related to an alleged assault of a man at a police station on April 4.
Unprecedented Court Action
The petitioner’s lawyer considered the high court’s actions as rare and unprecedented, as it dismissed a government affidavit and directed the state government to take appropriate actions against officials who submitted incorrect and misleading statements.
Details of the Assault Case
The case involves the alleged assault of Saikat Saha, a young man, at East Agartala Police Station on April 4. The charges claim that Saha was taken from Dhaleswar to the police station, where civilians supposedly attacked him in front of police officers before being handed over to the police.
Initially, East Agartala Police Station reported to the court that no assault took place inside the police station. However, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted on the High Court’s request later found that Saha had indeed been assaulted at the police station by outsiders while police personnel were present and did not intervene.
Contradictory Affidavits
The SIT’s findings prompted the division bench to question how the home department could later submit an affidavit denying the incident, despite evidence collected by the SIT. The court ordered action against the officials involved, including the under secretary who submitted the affidavit.
The court also directed decisive action against the police officer responsible for providing the earlier incorrect report. The judges expressed concern over the allegation that civilians could enter a police station and assault someone while law enforcement personnel stood by without intervening.
Remarks by the Court
Senior advocate Purushottam Ray Barman, representing Saha, told the media that during the proceedings, Chief Justice Rao and Justice Biswajit Palit issued serious remarks against officials for providing misleading information to the court.
The court called for accountability for all parties involved in the incident, including those who attempted to hide the truth. It was also revealed that Rabindra Narayan Ghosh, a former employee of the Agartala Municipal Corporation Task Force, was accused of soliciting a Rs 2 lakh bribe from Saha’s family for building plan approval and has since been dismissed from his position.
Arrests and Further Action
Ghosh and another person have been arrested in connection with the alleged assault and are in judicial custody. The high court sought a detailed report from the Agartala Municipal Corporation commissioner on the action taken against the dismissed official.
