Tripura Journalist Murder: CBI booked MLA, leaders and hundreds of party workers of IPFT

The murder of journalist Santanu Bhowmik in 2017 have led to the arrest of three tribal leaders by CBI one of them is MLA.

An official said MLA Dhirendra Debbarma and party leader Balram Debbarma and Amit Debbarma all hailed from Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) with 300-500 party members are booked by CBI.

Offender allegedly owing allegiance to the IPFT had on September 20, 2017 murdered Bhowmik at Mandwai, 25 km from Agartala. TV journalist Bhowmik, 27, was attacked with sharp weapons while covering a road blockade by the IPFT, which is demanding a separate tribal state.

The IPFT is a tribal party and an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It has eight MLAs in the 60-member Tripura Assembly and two Cabinet ministers in the BJP-led ministry led by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.

IPFT Vice President Ananta Debbarma told that the party will comment later.