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Tripura HC forms SIT to probe couple s death by suicide

By PTI
Tripura HC forms SIT to probe couple s death by suicide
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Agartala, Jun 7: The High Court of Tripura has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of a 23-year old woman after she was allegedly humiliated by a kangaroo court in South Tripura district.

A few days later after the victim's death, her husband had also taken the "extreme step", a police officer said. The three-member SIT comprises Lucky Chowhan, Commandant Central Training Institute of Tripura police, Soumya Debbarma, Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Belonia, and Babita Bhattacharjee, in-charge Tripura Human Rights Commission.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Akil A. Kureshi and Justice Subhasish Talapatra on Friday directed the SIT to submit its report on the next date of hearing on June 25. A Kangaroo court had allegedly paraded her naked at Betaga in Sabroom subdivision after accusing the woman of having an extramarital affair. She was also garlanded with shoes, the police said. The lady allegedly committed death by suicide in the village on May 6, days after the alleged humiliation.

After this news was published in some local dailies, the court took up a public interest petition taking cognisance of media reports on the woman's death and had ordered an inquiry. The police registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, carried out an investigation under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police of the district, and submitted papers of the probe to the court.

However, on perusal of the inquiry report, the bench found several "deficiencies" and asked the SIT to carry out further probe. The division bench also asked the SIT to bring the death of the victim's husband within the purview of its investigation. " In order not to prejudice the ongoing investigation and also the defence of the accused, we do not state our elaborate reasons for handing over the entire investigation to the SIT.

"The state administration shall provide all necessary facilities and support to the members of the SIT. The SIT so formed shall carry out the investigation further and place before us the papers of investigation for our perusal on the next date of hearing," the division bench directed.

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