Agartala, March 01, 2025: Tripura’s CPIM South District Secretary Tapas Datta, Trilokesh Sinha and All India Krishak Sabha Belonia Divisional Secretary Babul Debnath surrendered before the Belonia Court on Saturday following the Supreme Court’s directive. The case traces back to 2015, pertains to allegations of physical assault on Judge Ruhi Das Pal of the Belonia Court. The next Supreme Court hearing in the matter is scheduled for March 18.
Speaking to reporters, government lawyer Kishore Majumdar confirmed, “The three Left leaders, who were accused of physically assaulting Judge Ruhidas Pal inside the Belonia Court premises have now surrendered as per the Supreme Court’s directive. This marks an important step in the legal proceedings.”
The incident dates back to September 2, 2015, when the Left trade unions had called for a bandh. Allegedly, in the name of enforcing the shutdown, the three CPIM leaders, along with others, stormed into the Belonia Court and physically assaulted the judge. At that time, then Belonia Sub-Divisional Police Officer Sudip Pal took suo motu cognizance of the attack and registered a case under Belonia Police Station (Case No. 113/15).
Following their initial arrest, the accused had obtained bail after filing a writ petition in the Supreme Court. However, as per the apex court’s latest ruling, Tapas Datta, Trilokesh Sinha, and Babul Debnath were ordered to surrender before the court.
Legal proceedings in the case have been ongoing for years. In May 2023, the District and Session Court of South Tripura upheld the conviction of the three leaders, sentencing them to two years of rigorous imprisonment. They were found guilty of unlawful assembly, creating unrest inside the court premises, and obstructing a judicial officer in the discharge of duties.
“The attack on Belonia Court on October 2, 2015, was a blatant attempt to undermine the judicial system. The convicted individuals were leading the charge, disrupting the court’s functioning on a day when CPIM had called for a nationwide strike,” stated government advocate Aktar Hossain Majumder, who represented the prosecution.
The police invoked multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case, including IPC Section 447 for criminal trespass, Sections 353 and 332 for preventing a public servant from discharging duty, and Section 34 for common intention. After a prolonged hearing, the court found the trio guilty on all counts and sentenced them to imprisonment. The verdict was delivered by District and Sessions Judge Ashutosh Pandey.
The case has been politically sensitive issue in Tripura as the accused are senior CPIM leaders. With the next Supreme Court hearing set for March 18, legal experts believe this could be a decisive moment in the case.
