Agartala: The Tripura High court on Thursday acquitted the septuagenarian editor of a local daily newspaper who was convicted for murdering three persons.
A district court had awarded life imprisonment until death to Sushil Chowdhury, editor of ‘Ganadoot Patrika’ (People’s messenger daily) for allegedly murdering three employees of his newspaper.
The lower court, in its July 14, 2014, verdict also fined Chowdhury for 70,000 rupees.
The employees were found murdered on the newspaper office premises on May 19, 2013.
Chowdhury appealed to the High Court pleading not guilty.
A High Court division bench, comprising Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Subhasish Talapatra, ordered the 75-year-old editor’s release from jail.
Public Prosecutor Abhijit Ghosh said the high court has ruled that the appeal by Chowdhury against his conviction and sentence is allowed.
According to the prosecution, those murdered were manager Ranjit Chowdhury, proof reader Sujit Bhattacharjee and driver Balaram Ghosh
On May 30, 2013, Niyoti Ghosh, wife of slain driver Balaram Ghosh, was arrested while Sushil Chowdhury was arrested on June 7, 2013.
Additional district and sessions judge Kripankar Chakraborty, who presided over the six-month-long trial, held Chowdhury guilty of culpable homicide, suppression of evidence, furnishing of false evidence and conspiracy to hoodwink police.
However, Niyoti Ghosh, wife of Ganadoot Patrika’s driver, Balaram Ghosh, and co-accused in the case who turned approver, was set free by the judge.
Sub-inspector Manas Pal of West Agartala police station, who had filed a 562-page chargesheet in the case, said the employees had been stabbed to death when Chowdhury was apparently “taking a nap” in his first floor bedroom.
“After an initial inquiry, we grew suspicious about Chowdhury’s role and on May 31 we arrested Balaram’s wife Niyoti, who spilled the beans in the course of interrogation. Niyoti turned approver and finally agreed to make a statement in court under Section 164 CrPC. We arrested Chowdhury on June 7,” said Pal.
According to sources in the CJM court, Niyoti stated that Chowdhury was involved in several illegal businesses, including deposit-collecting companies, besides running his newspaper.
Manager Ranjit, who was aware of his boss’s illegal dealings, was trying to resign. This worried Chowdhury, as he feared the manager might expose him after quitting, and spurred him to plan Ranjit’s murder.
Chowdhury allegedly lured Balaram to execute his plan by offering him money and property. Niyoti said she was aware of the plot. On May 19, Balaram allegedly sneaked into the manager’s chamber on the first floor with Chowdhury and stabbed him several times, killing him on the spot.
As Balaram was hurrying downstairs, proofreader Sujit came running on hearing the manager’s screams and a scuffle ensued. While Sujit got stabbed several times, leading to his immediate death, Balaram, too, was critically injured and died later in hospital after being stabbed by Chowdhury.