Tripura Congress Leader Put Under 'House Arrest' for FIR against CM Biplab Deb

Agartala, April 5, 2020:

Tripura Congress veteran and former MLA Gopal Chandra Ray earlier today was confined to his residence for 3 long hours by the ruling regime one day after he had filed an FIR against the CM, Biplab Deb, for spreading what he termed as "fake news." Moreover, around 200 cops visited his residence in the afternoon, and allegedly "ransacked" his house.

[Note: On April 2, while attending a “mock drill” to test the State’s preparedness to deal with COVID-19, Biplab had said that “19 coronavirus cases have been found in Manipur and 16 coronavirus cases have been found in Karimganj, Assam.”]

The police had earlier booked the Congress leader for using a letterhead that included the national emblem in his FIR against the Chief Minister. Lawyer Arabinda Deb filed an FIR against Ray at the New Capital Complex police station for using the national emblem in his letter pad. According to Deb, “there are some specific guidelines to use the national emblem formulated by the Supreme Court of India. When a lawmaker loses his chair, he can not use this prestigious symbol arbitrarily. It is a punishable offence”.

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Later in the afternoon, a large contingent of police officers (said to be around 200) under the leadership of SDPO NCC Priya Madhuri Majumder raided the house of Gopal Ray which is located at the Ram Thakur Sangha locality. The police team sealed the entrance of the house and kept him under watch for three long hours. On the other hand, a team of Congress leaders including PCC president Pijush Biswas and Subal Bhowmik rushed to his residence soon after they were alerted to the situation. They too were not allowed entry.

Speaking to this reporter over phone, Gopal Ray said, "the police have been sent deliberately to pressurize me mentally so that I withdraw my FIR against the Chief Minister. I may have committed a technical mistake by using a letterhead. However, there is no reason to send an entire force to my house. They are treating me like a terrorist."

Ray also accused the police of ransacking his house. “Many of my precious articles are damaged. After a three hour long operation they just got 12 to 15 letterheads to seize. Such action from the police in a democratic state is utterly condemn-able”, Ray told this reporter. Ray also claimed that it was an operation meant to "harass" him for pointing a finger at the Tripura Chief Minister.l

Meanwhile, addressing the media persons in front of the residence of Gopal Ray Tripura Congress president Pijush Biswas admitted the fact that use of such letterheads is an offence, but added that it does not deserve such a kind of pushback. “Use of national emblem including letterheads is not legal, the government then must take legal actions. What is the point of harassing him using the police force?"

Biswas also alleged that the government was not showing activeness where it was necessary. “In Mohanpur, a girl has been kidnapped, but the police refused to lodge an FIR till the morning. The girl was found dead. So, instead of performing their duties towards the people, they are busy completing their political assignments."

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