Agartala: Three prominent leaders of the opposition CPIM Party of Tripura surrendered before the court on Saturday, complying with a directive from the Supreme Court of India.
The leaders, Tapas Datta, Trilokesh Sinha, and Badal Chandra Debnath, are facing charges of assaulting a judge and disrupting court proceedings.
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The case stems from an incident on September 2, 2015, when the CPIM, then the ruling party, organised a strike.
During the strike, the leaders participated in picketing activities and allegedly entered a court premises, causing chaos.
In the commotion, someone reportedly assaulted South Tripura District and Sessions Judge Ruhi Das Paul.
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Following the incident, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Belonia filed a suo moto First Information Report (FIR) against the CPIM leaders.
A Judicial Magistrate First Class initially tried the case and found the accused guilty under Sections 447 (criminal trespass) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The court sentenced them to two years in prison and imposed a monetary fine.
The convicts appealed the verdict in the District and Sessions Court, which upheld the sentence. They then approached the High Court, which also upheld the lower court’s verdict.
Subsequently, they moved the Supreme Court, challenging the punishment.
On February 18, the Supreme Court heard the matter and promptly ordered the convicts to surrender before the court.
In compliance with the directive, the three leaders surrendered on March 01. The next hearing in the Supreme Court is scheduled for March 18, 2025.
A lawyer representing the state said, “The Supreme Court’s order was clear, and the accused have complied by surrendering.
The legal process will now continue as per the court’s directives.”