Agartala, Tripura, October 18 (HBTV): The Tripura Police have suspended a sub-inspector, a constable, and three Special Police Officers from the Manubazar police station in South Tripura district following their alleged involvement in the custodial torture of 27-year-old Badal Tripura, who succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday night.

A senior official confirmed on Thursday that steps were being taken to ensure the arrest of those responsible.

Protests erupted outside the Manubazar police station from Thursday morning, with demonstrators decrying the treatment meted out to Badal Tripura. His body was brought to the site of the protest, where protesters chanted slogans against police brutality. They claimed that although he had been detained on a minor charge, Tripura was subjected to severe physical abuse, leading to his death.

A protester said Badal was arrested two days ago for causing a nuisance while under the influence of alcohol. He was placed in custody and tortured for hours. He died on Thursday.

Badal Tripura was arrested allegedly for stealing rubber scraps and was reportedly beaten throughout the night in police custody, despite no formal complaint having been lodged against him. He was detained under the Tripura Police Act for drunken behavior though there was no official theft complaint. 

Following the incident, five police personnel, including a sub-inspector and a constable, were suspended and detained for questioning. A departmental investigation is reported to be underway. 

Superintendent of Police for South Tripura, Ashok Kumar Sinha said Badal Tripura was detained with another person on the night of October 13 on suspicion of stealing rubber sheets.   

However, when the complainant refused to file a written complaint, the pair was arrested under relevant sections of the Tripura Police Act for creating a disturbance while being intoxicated.

CCTV footage showed that the deceased person had acted violently and resisted police when placed in the lockup. However, the injuries on his body were not evident at the time of his arrest.

Sinha admitted that the man may have been subjected to custodial torture, leading to the suspension of five officers. After being released the following morning, Tripura’s condition deteriorated, and died on Wednesday night after being hospitalised.

Police assured protesters that the officers involved would face legal and departmental action, after which the body was allowed to be taken for post-mortem.