Tripura: Unable to pay Durga Puja subscription youth thrashed to death, 3 arrested

Nutan Bazar police station in the Gomati district of Tripura arrested three out of eight accused in connection to the death of one Tapas Ray who died after being attacked in his home over differences regarding payment of community Durga Puja subscription.

The victim’s family members in the police complaint alleged that Tapas was beaten up leaving him critically injured which lead to his death.

The arrested have been identified as Biplab Das, Dipankar Das and Lalu Das, while others managed to flee from the area.

According to Sanju Roy, elder brother of the deceased, the incident started over community Durga Puja subscription at Chellikhala and the attackers had earlier threatened them that shall face dire consequences if they deny the total amount that they had demanded.

He added that the attackers had demanded a total of around Rs 2500 as a Durga Puja subscription which they denied as it was much higher.

Ray also informed that on the Dushera night he was also attacked in the market by the same group and later his young brother was attacked in their house and succumbed to his injuries in the GB hospital in Agartala last Friday.

The situation took a political turn after the locals of  Subash Colony in Chellagang protested against the incident demanding the death penalty for the accused and adding to it the Opposition CPIM claiming that the victim had recently joined its youth organisation DYFI leaving the ruling BJP and so was targeted.

However, according to locals, the incident started with two factions in the ruling BJP in that area trying to establish their dominance over each other.

Meantime, the deceased’s mother alleged that her son was beaten up by some local BJP supporters and leaders over something different on Durga Puja donation (chanda) and she demanded the death penalty for those involved in the murder of her son.

Locals also protested and raised slogans demanding the death penalty for murderers.