In a significant development in one of Tripura’s most sensational murder cases, the High Court of Tripura on Tuesday acquitted two convicted persons — Sumit Banik and Sumit Chowdhury — in the 2019 murder case of bank officer Bodhisattva Das.
A division bench comprising Justice T. Amarnath Goud and Justice Sabyasachi Datta Purkayastha delivered the verdict while hearing appeals challenging the earlier conviction order passed by the West Tripura District and Sessions Court.
The murder of Bodhisattva Das, who was serving as the manager of UCO Bank in Dharmanagar, had triggered massive public outrage across the state in 2019.
According to prosecution records, on the intervening night of August 3 and 4, 2019, Bodhisattva Das was sitting with a friend near Jackson Gate and the Ujjayanta Palace area in Agartala when an altercation reportedly broke out with a group of persons allegedly under the influence of alcohol. The argument soon turned violent and Das was allegedly attacked with sharp weapons and broken beer bottles.
Critically injured, he was first admitted to GBP Hospital in Agartala and later shifted to a Kolkata hospital for advanced treatment. After battling for life for nearly 13 days, he succumbed to his injuries on August 16, 2019.
Police had arrested four accused in connection with the case — Traffic Police Inspector Sukanta Biswas, businessmen Sumit Chowdhury and Sumit Banik, and Omar Sharif alias Shoaib Miah.
Earlier, on June 3, 2023, the West Tripura District and Sessions Court had convicted all four accused and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The court had also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each. During the prolonged trial, statements of 56 witnesses were recorded.
At that time, the prosecution had described the verdict as a major success backed by forensic evidence, including blood samples recovered from a beer bottle, dragger and scooter allegedly linked to the accused persons.
However, following appeals before the High Court, the division bench on Tuesday acquitted Sumit Banik and Sumit Chowdhury of all charges. The court order regarding the remaining accused persons was yet to draw wider public reaction till filing of this report.
Senior Advocate Subrata Sarkar, appearing for Sumit Banik, briefed the media about the High Court judgment at the court premises. Senior advocate B.N. Majumder represented accused Sumit Chowdhury in the case.
The Bodhisattva Das murder case remains one of the most talked-about criminal cases in Tripura in recent years due to the involvement of influential accused persons and the gruesome nature of the crime.