Can't take up journo murder: CBI

AGARTALA: The CBI has informed the high court of Tripura that it would be difficult for it to take up the investigation into the murder of journalist Shantanu Bhowmik.
A division bench of the high court of Tripura, headed by chief justice Ajay Rastogi, asked CBI to clarify the status of its decision on whether it will take up the investigation into the murder of journalist Shantanu Bhowmik before the next hearing on July 24.The CBI counsel informed the division bench - comprising chief justice Rastogi and justice Arindam Lodh - on Wednesday that its ASP at the Shillong office had stated that the agency would be unable to undertake the investigation because of "infrastructure deficiency" it is facing. Besides, the ASP said, the government's SIT has already finished investigating the case and submitted a charge sheet and the CBI did not find it of "state or national interest" to carry out the investigation into Shantanu's murder.
The state witnessed the killing of two journalists - Shantanu Bhowmik and Sudip Datta Bhowmik - in quick succession last year. While an SIT had been formed to investigate the case, the BJP-IPFT government had referred both cases to the CBI soon after coming to power in March.
Journalist bodies have expressed their displeasure over CBI's response. "We had gone to the chief justice, the Prime Minister and the President, seeking an independent probe into the murder of Sudip and Shantanu. The investigation was manipulated by the SIT to save the criminals and the families of both journalists went to court seeking a CBI probe," veteran journalist Subal Dey said.
Meanwhile, additional district and sessions judge Goutam Sarkar rejected the bail applications of former TSR commandant Tapan Debbarma, driver Nanda Kumar Reang Riflemen Amit Debbarma and Dharmendra Singh - who had been arrested in connection with the killing of journalist Sudip Datta Bhowmik.