Reported by Mrinal Banik
Agartala: The Tripura High Court on Tuesday acquitted two men convicted in the 2019 murder of a bank manager, holding that the prosecution failed to establish any prior conspiracy or common intention linking them to the fatal assault.
A division bench of Justice T Amarnath Goud and Justice S Datta Purkayastha set aside the conviction of Sumit Banik and Sumit Chowdhury, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a West Tripura district court in 2023 along with two others.
The case relates to the killing of bank manager Bodhisatwa Das during the night of August 3-4, 2019, near Jackson Gate area in Agartala.
According to the prosecution, Das and a friend were present at the spot when traffic police inspector Sukanta Biswas, Banik and Chowdhury arrived there in a car. An argument reportedly broke out after objections were raised over public urination, which later escalated into a scuffle.
During the altercation, another accused, Sohaib Miah, allegedly joined the group and stabbed Das multiple times with a sharp weapon. The injured bank manager was taken to hospital by fire service personnel, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Before his death, Das recorded a statement identifying the accused persons, following which an FIR was lodged by his mother.
Senior advocate Subrata Sarkar, appearing for Banik, said the High Court found no evidence to prove that Banik and Chowdhury shared any common intention with Miah or had prior knowledge of the fatal attack.
“The court observed that there was no prior meeting of minds between the two acquitted persons and the main accused. Their presence at the spot alone could not make them liable for the offence committed by another individual,” Sarkar told reporters.
He said the bench accepted the defence argument that Miah had suddenly arrived at the scene and carried out the stabbing independently.
The High Court had earlier upheld the conviction of Sohaib Miah, who challenged the trial court verdict separately.
Sukanta Biswas, another convict in the case, did not file any appeal against the lower court judgment.