Custodial Deaths In Tripura : Time To Worry

On June 24, this year the opposition party of Tripura, CPI-M demanded a judicial inquiry into the four custodial deaths which happened over a period of the last eight months in the state. This is not the first time that opposition parties in the state have raised such a demand. In January this year, both CPI (M) and Congress had demanded a judicial probe into the custodial death of a 38-year-old undertrial, who was found hanging in West Agartala Police Station. Unfortunately, Tripura has made it to the media headlines for incidents like custodial death in the state. Northeast Today writes

There had been at least 17 custodial deaths in Tripura since 1993 as reported by the media. Hence, the present government alone cannot be blamed for custodial death as 15 persons died in the police custody between 1993-2018 under the left rule. Tripura law minister Ratan Lal Nath in a statement 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.”