AN FIR on financial irregularities against Badal Chowdhury, former minister of PWD, government of Tripura along with two other top officials, Yash Paul Singh, the then chief secretary and Sunil Bhowmik, the then chief engineer, PWD(R&B), was lodged to the West Agartala Police station, on October 13, 2019. 

GIST OF THE COMPLAINT

The case in reference is regarding PWD tender bid in 2008. The FIR alleged that the accused persons had allowed excess of Rs 164 crores beyond the permissible limit violating procedural norms while finalising the bid with the PSUs and reputed construction companies of the country for construction of nine bridges, five buildings and four roads. It is not the place to discuss merits and demerits of the case matter on legal point of view, which will be decided by the court.  But chronology of events shall strongly reflect the vindictive motive of the government to divert people’s attention from the commendable achievements of the then Left Front government in infrastructure development of the state during its regime.

CRAZY ACTS OF POLICE TO ARREST BADAL CHOWDHURY  

The police along with the TSR(Tripura State Rifles) headed by the investigation officer of the case encircled the state committee office of the CPI(M) in Agartala and forcibly entered despite opposition from the Party cadres. On being asked to produce a warrant, the police said that they do not want a warrant to enter the office and they have come to arrest Badal Chowdhury on October 14 a day after the FIR was filed. An anticipatory bail was filed on the same day in the court. It was only after the court passed an interim order that Badal cannot be arrested till October 16 that the police left the office, though kept several police personnel in civil dress outside the office.

On October 16th the session’s judge in his order at 11.45 p m rejected the anticipatory bail of Chowdhury. No sooner the police with huge number of security forces again appeared before the CPI(M) state committee office and started showing their fangs to search the office. This time also, they had no search warrant. Ignoring all protests by the comrades staying inside the office, the police conducted search inside the office once at about 12.30 a m and subsequently at 2.00 a m at night. The police could not find Badal inside the office however a section of the TSR was posted in front of state committee office from 16th night till Badal Chowdhury was arrested in ICU of ILS hospital in unconscious condition on October 21, 2019.

INHUMANITY IN HOSPITAL

On October 21st evening, wife and daughter of Badal Chowdhury carried him to  ILS Hospital Agartala in unconscious condition. The physicians immediately admitted him in ICU. The police no sooner arrested him from ICU. Next day, because of pressure from government, he was shifted to cabin. His wife had to fight with police for being allowed to stay with the patient as an attendant inside the hospital cabin. Inside the cabin the spouse had no privacy even for change of dresses because the police deputed two lady constables to guard the arrested person inside the cabin in addition to large number of security forces were on round the clock duty in front of the cabin as well in the main entrance of the hospital.

A fresh bail petition was submitted to the Tripura High Court. October 30 was fixed for hearing of this petition. On the same day at noon, the ILS hospital authority seemingly under duress, released Badal Chowdhury from the hospital. Copy of the release certificate was given to the police keeping the family members in dark. The police hastily dragged out Chowdhury through a passage at the back side of the hospital, which is generally used for bringing  out dead bodies. He was not even given scope to change his dress. This inhumanity with the patient and hasty action of the police was necessary to argue in the high court that Badal Chowdhury was quite well and could be ordered for police remand.

BARBARISM IN POLICE STATION

Badal Chowdhury alleged in the police station that he was physically assaulted by the police on way to police station. In social media post it was clearly seen that three police officers namely Subrata Chakrborty, Dhruba Nath and Ajoy Das-IO of the case were lifting Chowdhury from a chair and pushing him inside the custody. The purpose of this highhandedness was clear, when the state BJP face book immediately posted an image of the same custody where Badal Chowdhury was sitting in a bench with another accused. Though custodial code categorically prohibited circulation of any photograph/image of the custody, this had happened in case of Badal Chowdhury who is presently the deputy leader of the opposition, Tripura Legislaive Assembly, former minister for 20 years and Member of Legislative Assembly for 8 terms and more importantly, who is seriously ill, had undergone open heart urgency, having pace maker in his chest and needs regular medical advice from Delhi doctors.

Naturally, Badal Chowdhury could not bear with this physical and mental torture. Within few minutes Badal Chowdhury got ill inside the custody of West Agartala Police station. The police called on some physicians from G B Panth Hospital who advised the police to immediately shift him to hospital.  Within an hour he was again carried to the hospital, where once again he was admitted in ICU. However, his bail petition in Tripura High Court was rejected.

Till now, Badal Chowdhury  is under treatment in ICU in G B Hospital.The above eventualities amply establishes that the government is more keen to harass Badal Chowdhury in whatsoever manner than waiting for verdict of the case, with a view to tarnish the high image of Badal Chowdhury who is known to be one of the key architects of infrastructural development in Tripura during Left Front regime. Badal Chowdhury repeatedly assured the party workers and supporters who swarmed in the court to take glimpse of him, that the conspirators would certainly be defeated in the court of law.

The CPI(M) Tripura state committee in a statement termed this FIR as a conspiracy to defame the achievements of earlier Left Front government on the one hand, and on the other, divert the people’s attention from, one after another anti-people steps of the BJP-led government, by deception of the people with  false promises they made during elections.

Innumerable protest march and rallies were held throughout the state condemning this political vendetta of the government. They vowed to combat this conspiracy politically and legally..