A total of 17 custodial deaths have been reported so far in Tripura since 1993.
Out of the 17, Tripura recorded 15 custodial deaths during the Left Front regime in between 1993-2018.
Tripura law minister Ratan Lal Nath in a statement on Tuesday night said, “The CPI (M) has no right to say anything about the custodial deaths as 15 persons died in the police custody between 1993-2018.”
The minister also said, “During the time of Manik Sarkar while he was the chief minister, 14 custodial deaths were reported in Tripura.”
Manik Sarkar served as the Tripura chief minister from 1998 to 2018.
Also read: CPI(M) walks out of Tripura Assembly over custodial death
Recently, the Tripura Assembly witnessed a chaotic scene over the custodial death of one Sushanta Ghosh on January 12.
The CPI (M) MLAs walked out of the Assembly as the deputy speaker did not allow the Opposition’s attention motion to discuss the issue of custodial death on the floor of the House.
In the last three months, Tripura has reported two incidents of custodial death.
Also read: Tripura: Man dies in police custody, CM orders probe
On October 31, one Mangal Das died due to alleged torture in the police custody at Radha Kishorepur police station in Gomoti District.
On January 12, one Sushanta Ghosh was found dead in the West Agartala police station.
Sushanta Ghosh was arrested by the police on charges of being involved in the series of ATM hacking incidents in Agartala.
Rattan Lal Nath in a statement in the Civil Secretariat on Tuesday night alleged that the former Left Front government did not take any proper step against the custodial deaths that had taken place during their regime.
The Left Front government ordered an investigation in the cases of custodial death but the reports never came out, Nath alleged.
Ratan Lal Nath also said the state government has ordered for a magisterial investigation into the two custodial deaths which have taken place recently in Tripura.