3 days on, Tripura Police yet to arrest lynching accused

Agartala: Tripura Police has started a probe into the lynching of 22-year-old Gautam Das, but even after three days, they have not been able to arrest the accused named in the FIR.
Several leaders of BJP’s Yuva Morcha have been accused of fatally beating Goutam in the presence of police after he was handed over to his family on Sept 10 at Natun Bazar PS in Gomati.
SP (Gomati) Gautam Das Namit Pathak said, “We are awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of death as the body didn’t have any assault mark.”
Gautam, a resident of Amarpur Chelagang in Gomati, was in a relationship with a 19-year-old girl from Aravinda Colony area. On Sept 5, he eloped with the girl, prompting her family to file a police complaint. The police rescued the girl from Gautam’s house in Sabroom and brought them to Natun Bazar. However, as soon as Goutam exited the police station, a group of youths allegedly led by a local BJP youth leader assaulted him in front of the PS, as claimed by the victim’s father.
The father stated that some Yuva Morcha leaders took Gautam to the girl’s house for an amicable settlement, where they beat him up again. Gautam, with serious injuries, was first admitted to Natun Bazar Hospital and later referred to Agartala Govt Medical College, where he succumbed to his injuries. Both CPM and Congress questioned the role of the police, alleging that “police and criminals are hand-in-glove with the party in power.”
BJP state secretary Devid Debbarma said criminals do not have any colour and even if any partyman committed any crime, police have to act as per Bharatiya Nyaya Sanghita.