‘Will appeal to the high court’: Tripura CM Manik Saha on reopening Kalyanpur massacre case

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has announced that his government will move the high court to seek permission to reopen the Kalyanpur massacre case, describing it as a necessary step to deliver justice nearly three decades after the killings.

Speaking on December 12  at a programme marking the anniversary of the attack, Saha said the BJP-led government was committed to pursuing legal action in connection with the massacre at Kalyanpur Bazar Colony in Khowai district, where 26 people were shot dead by armed insurgents on December 12, 1996.

“Our government will appeal to the high court, seeking permission to reopen the Kalyanpur massacre case to ensure justice,” the chief minister said.

The attack remains one of the deadliest militant incidents in Tripura’s history. Armed men surrounded the village at night and opened fire on residents as they slept. The victims, including men, women, children and elderly people, belonged to the Bengali Hindu community.

Saha said the incident, which took place 29 years ago, had “shocked the entire nation”. After paying floral tributes to those killed, he said, “I seek their blessings to give me the strength to fight for justice. Everyone is aware who was responsible.”

The chief minister accused the then CPI(M)-led government of failing to prevent the attack and launched a sharp political attack on the party. He alleged that communists were linked to violence and suppression, and expressed surprise at the CPI(M)’s continued presence in the state assembly.

“I feel bad that CPI(M) still has 10 MLAs in the assembly. It is stunning that they still manage to get elected. They never talk about the people; they only talk about their cadres,” he said.

Saha also claimed that 69 people were killed in South Tripura district alone during the CPI(M)’s tenure in power.

Highlighting the current government’s security record, the chief minister said peace had largely returned to the region after the BJP came to power. He pointed to 12 agreements signed by the Centre aimed at bringing insurgent groups into the mainstream.

“The terrorists who killed people and indulged in violence will not be spared,” Saha said. “Even now, some of those terrorists are working with masks on. Our government will try to punish them.”