Agartala, November 21: A 25-year-old journalist Sudip Datta Bhowmik was shot dead on Tuesday morning by a Tripura State Rifles (TSR) trooper during an altercation in Bodhjung Nagar in Tripura, police said.
The cop identified as Tapan Debbarma, the bodyguard of the TSR’s Second Battalion Commandant, opened fire killing Sudip Datta Bhowmik on the spot, news agency IANS reported.
Moments after Bhowmik, a reporter of “Syandan Patrika” and local television channel “Venguard”, was shot his body was brought to Gobinda Ballav Panth Medical College and Hospital for postmortem.
“Sudip Datta Bhaunik, a senior journalist working with us, had gone to meet the Commandant of the 2nd TSR at RK Nagar after obtaining due appointment from him. But when he reached there he had an altercation with a PSO of the Commandant outside the latter’s office, during which the PSO shot at him. Sudip died on the spot,” Subal Dey, editor of Syandan Patrika, said to Indian Express. Syandan Patrika is a leading Bengali newspaper of Agartala.
The police have now arrested the PSO, a constable attached with the TSR, the newspaper said.
“We strongly condemn the brutal killing of journalist Sudip Dutta Bhowmik in Tripura. My condolences to the family of the deceased,” Mamata Banerjee said on twitter.
We strongly condemn the brutal killing of journalist Sudip Dutta Bhowmik in Tripura. My condolences to the family of the deceased
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 21, 2017
In last three months, this is the second incident when a reporter was killed by security forces. On September 20, a television journalist, Santanu Bhowmik, was killed allegedly by some activists of a party in Mandai, 35 km from here.
Shantanu was working for a local news channel in Tripura was hacked to death while covering the agitation and road blockade by the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT).
Superintendent of Police of West district, Abhijit Saptarshi said Santanu Bhowmik, a journalist from ‘Dinarat’ news channel, was covering the agitation ad road blocked by the IPFT at Mandai when he was shot from behind and later abducted.
Later, the journalist was found with serious stab injuries and was rushed to Agartala Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed by the Government of Tripura to investigate the murder. The decision came after the delegation of the management committee of Agartala Press Club requested Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar for a fast-track court for the trial. The delegation also demanded compensation for Bhowmick’s family.
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