Tripura tribal woman’s death sparks ethnic tension

AGARTALA - The death of a 26-year-old tribal woman, a candidate of a tribal-based party for the upcoming local body elections, has sparked off ethnic tension in western Tripura, police said here Sunday.

“The father of the victim, Nilima Debbarma, complained to the police that the TSR (Tripura State Rifles) troopers gangraped the victim and hanged the body on a tree after killing her in a near by jungle late Saturday night,” Tripura police spokesman and deputy inspector general Nepal Das told reporters.

The Tripura government has ordered a high level inquiry into the incident, which allegedly took place at west Tripuras Champahower village, 50 km north of here.

The police spokesperson said that before the incident Nilima, a widow, consumed liquor in a house near a TSR camp.

Police have arrested Dipak Debbarma, a staffer at the the TSR camp, on suspicion.

After the completion of the inquiry and the post-mortem report, the truth of the incident would be revealed, Das said.

Nominated by the National Conference of Tripura (NCT), Debbarma was a candidate for the Feb 24 elections to the village committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), a constitutional body facilitating the socio-economic development of tribals, who constitute one-third of the states 3.8 million population.

Deputy Inspector General (TSR) Tarun Baran Roy, Superintendent of Police Anis Prasad and senior officials, accompanied by huge contingent of security forces, are camping in the trouble torn area to control the situation.

The agitated tribals have circled the TSR camp.

NCT president and former legislator Animesh Debbarma said: Exemplary punishment should be given to the erring TSR troopers and the security camp should be withdrawn immediately.

The TSR camp was set up in the insurgency ravaged Champahower village a few years back.