Swarupananda Biswas
Swarupananda Biswas at West Police Station, Agartala. Image credit - Northeast Now

The CBI arrested one Tripura State Rifles (TSR) official on Wednesday evening in connection with Tripura journalist Sudip Datta Bhowmik murder case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Swarupananda Biswas, who is currently posted as an assistant commandant in the 3rd battalion of TSR.

Journalist Sudip Datta Bhowmik was shot dead on November 21, 2017 allegedly by a jawan of the 2nd battalion of TSR following an altercation between the two in Tripura’s RK Nagar.

The incident occurred near the headquarters of the TSR.

Also read: Tripura government orders probe into attack on journalists

At the time of Bhowmik’s murder, Swarupananda Biswas was posted at the second battalion of TSR headquarters at RK Nagar.

Fingers were also pointed towards the 2nd battalion commandant Tapan Debbarma in the murder case.

After killing of the scribe, different journalists’ bodies in Tripura demanded CBI probe into the case.

But the then Left Front government formed Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case.

The BJP after coming to power in Tripura handed over the case to the CBI in March, 2018.

The SIT framed charges against four people in connection with the murder case.

The accused are TSR commandant Tapan Debbarma, driver Nanda Kumar Reang, riflemen Amit Debbarma and Dharmendra Singh, who were arrested in connection with the killing of journalist Sudip Datta Bhowmik at the battalion headquarters on November 21, 2017.

Charges were framed against the four accused under Sections 302, 120(B) and 27(2) of the Arms Act.

One more journalist – Santanu Bhowmik – was also killed by miscreants on September 20, 2017.

This case was also referred to the CBI by the BJP-led government in Tripura.

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