A senior journalist was shot dead under mysterious circumstances at a battalion headquarters of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) near Agartala on Tuesday. Sudip Datta Bhowmik, 49, was working for a vernacular daily Syandan Patrika and was also contributing to local television channel News Vanguard .
His death occurred nearly two months after the murder of young television journalist Santanu Bhowmik at Mandwai, not far from Radha Kishore Nagar, the location of the headquarters of 2nd battalion TSR. TSR and police authorities were tight-lipped about what actually occurred inside the TSR premises.
Subal Kumar Dey, Editor of Syandan Patrika , alleged that the killing was an act of vengeance by TSR officials as the slain journalist recently exposed gross financial irregularities in the paramilitary force. The investigative journalist went to the battalion headquarters for want of news when he faced a targeted attack, he added.
Reports said a TSR trooper shot dead Sudip Datta Bhowmik from point-blank range just outside the office of Commandant Tapan Debbarma at around 11.30 a.m. Surprisingly, the journalist was taken to GB Pant Hospital here at around 2.30 p.m where doctors declared him brought dead.
Senior officials of TSR, including the Commandant and police, refused to speak on the circumstances that led to his killing. They said the incident was under investigation.
All journalists, unions and forums have vehemently condemned the killing of another active journalist in the assembly election-bound State. They will hold a joint meeting later tonight to decide the agitation programmes in view of the incidents of attacks on journalists in Tripura.
