Woman's Half-Burnt Body Found In Tripura, Husband Blames MLA's Aides, 4 Arrested

The half-burnt body of a woman was discovered in Tripura's Gomati district on Saturday, prompting her husband to claim she died by suicide after being attacked by associates of the local BJP MLA.

The incident, which occurred in Mirza within the Kakaraban police station jurisdiction, escalated into a significant political controversy. As a result, a police officer was suspended, and Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy promised severe action against those responsible.

Chief Minister Manik Saha addressed the situation in a Facebook post late Saturday: "A thorough investigation has been ordered into the Mirza incident. All individuals involved in this heinous crime will face justice according to the law. Four accused persons have already been arrested in connection with this case."

SDPO of Uadaipur, Debanjali Ray, confirmed that the woman's body was found early in the morning.

"We initially registered an unnatural death case. Later, we filed a case of abetment of suicide. The investigation has commenced, and additional sections under the BNS will be added based on information gathered during our inquiry," she explained.

The victim's husband alleged that three individuals, including Manna Majumder, nephew of BJP's Kakraban-Salgarh MLA Jitendra Majumder, severely assaulted him and his wife on Friday night.

"We subsequently went to the police station to file a complaint, but they refused to accept it," he claimed.

"Upon returning home, we slept separately as we often do. This morning, my wife's half-burnt body was discovered on a nearby road. Manna Majumder and his two associates are responsible for my wife's death," he further alleged.

The MLA was unavailable for comment. Local residents identified the couple as known BJP members in the area.

The finance minister visited the victim's residence in the evening and assured an unbiased investigation.

"This is a tragic incident. The police will conduct an impartial investigation, and the perpetrators will receive severe punishment, regardless of who they may be," he told reporters.

Police officials confirmed they have suspended Assistant Sub-Inspector of Kakraban police station Sanjoy Sarkar for "negligence in duty".

The opposition Congress criticized the police regarding the incident, alleging they were attempting to protect the accused.

"First, the police refused to register their complaint. More concerning is that the couple was pursued by the accused when returning from the police station. It appears the police are trying to shield the accused," district Congress president Titan Paul alleged.

Subsequently, a party delegation led by MLAs Sudip Roy Barman and Birajit Sinha visited the victim's home.

Barman stated that the delegation also met with district police authorities and demanded the arrest of all accused before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the town on September 22.

"Otherwise, we will file a complaint with PM Modi," he warned.

The opposition CPI(M) held protests outside the state police headquarters in Agartala and in Udaipur, claiming the woman was burnt alive.