Agartala, May 13, 2026: A Dharmanagar court on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of three accused persons in connection with a case linked to the alleged abetment of suicide of a youth following the recent by-election in North Tripura. The order was passed by the Court of the Sessions Judge, North Tripura, in Bail Application No. 19 of 2026.

The petitioners — Abhijit Das, Suraj Deb and Hirakdyuti Nath — had approached the court seeking pre-arrest bail under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in connection with a Dharmanagar Police Station case registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the FIR lodged by Ananya Bhattacharjee on May 5, several persons allegedly entered her residence on May 4, shortly after the by-election results were announced, abused and assaulted family members, and threatened to kill her husband. The complaint further alleged that the accused persons again attacked the house late at night. The following morning, her husband was found hanging in the bathroom of their residence.

During the hearing, senior counsel representing the petitioners argued that the allegations were fabricated and politically motivated. The defence claimed that neither the deceased’s father nor wife had initially named the accused in media interactions and contended that the FIR appeared to be an afterthought. The counsel also cited several Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court judgments relating to abetment of suicide, arguing that there was no evidence of “mens rea” or direct instigation by the accused persons.

The Public Prosecutor opposed the bail plea, maintaining that the deceased and his family were subjected to continuous threats and intimidation, which allegedly drove the victim to take the extreme step. The prosecution further informed the court that witness statements and preliminary inquiry reports indicated the involvement of the petitioners.

After hearing both sides and examining the case diary, witness statements and other materials, the court observed that the allegations were “very serious” and held that the arguments relating to the applicability of abetment provisions could only be examined during trial.

The court ultimately declined to exercise discretionary power under Section 482 of BNSS and rejected the anticipatory bail plea of all three petitioners.