AGARTALA, June 23 (TIWN): Whereas on the occasion of E-Court launching at HC, Tripura CM Manik Sarkar said that due to inadequate number of judges the justice is getting delayed, but an undisclosed episode about Bimal Sinha murder case, who was the then Health Minister was killed brutally along with his brother allegedly by terrorists has remained as a mysterious death till day. Before 19 years the murder was done, but in the present scenario of politics in Tripura, when Election is knocking the door, a hitting question has turned heavy upon the Present CM Manik Sarkar's image. Bimal Sinha was the all in all favourite candidate of all MLAs for the next CM, but due to Nripen Chakroborty's supports Manik Sarkar became the Chief Minister but quite surprisingly after one month of Manik Sarkar's Chief Ministership Bimal Sinha was killed and for long 16 years the report of Yusuf Commission which set to investigate the case remained unpublished and after 19 years of the murder the case remained pending.

In a programme recently Sunil Deodhar said, "All MLAs wanted Bimal Sinha to be the CM but due Nripen Chakraborty’s affection, Manik Sarkar became CM and within a month Sinha was murdered and till day his death has remained under mystery. This is Tripura where people are killed and no charge-sheet is created. However, Deodhar also mentioned only in Nripen Chakraborty was an ideal Communists only in state who practically carried a very ordinary lifestyle.  More than 1000 political murder remained in Tripura un-convicted".

Under CPI-M regime Bimal Sinha has been titled as a ‘terrorist-friend’ and at the same time the left front Govt was also accused for hiding the Yusuf Commission for long 16 years. However, on Friday CPI-M coming out of all the traumas after 10,323 case, the comrades have faced the media while observing Binal Sinha’s death anniversary, who was killed in 1998. Oppositions claimed there was high conspiracy in this murder as well as the Govt did not disclose the Yusuf Commission report for long 16 years. Talking to BJP Vice President Subal Bhowmik he mentioned, “Neither Tripura Govt called for CBI inquiry in Sinha murder case, nor it cooperate with Yusuf Commission; it’s clearly written in Yusuf Commission. Even Sinha’s wife Bijoy Laxmi Sinha told the commission that I can not say anything in this case as if I open my mouth my fate will be same”. Bhowmik also said, “CPI-M Members like Ranjit Ghosh and few other people are also accused in the case, but they are openly roaming and not a single person has been punished for the Minister’s murder.However, now the party is flowing crocodiles tear after Bimal Sinha on every death anniversary of the leader, claimed Bhowmik.

Reportedly, Bijan Dhar, CPI-M State Secretary and other party members  paid floral tribute to Bimal Sinha at Melarmath party office on Friday.

It’s worthy to mention here that on March 31, 1988 Tripura's Health and Urban Development Minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Bimal Sinha and his younger brother Bidyut Sinha were gunned down by the militants of the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT).

The Minister and his brother walked into a trap set by the NLFT. The extremists had offered to release the Minister's adopted brother Bikram Sinha, a contractor of Kamalpur whom they had abducted, and had asked the Minister to come without his guards to a place near Avanga on the Ambassa-Kamalpur road in north Tripura. Accordingly, Bimal Sinha left his car and security personnel behind at Avanga and, along with Bidyut Sinha and a local Congress(I) leader, walked towards the Dhalai river. About 20 NLFT militants who were waiting on the river bank opened fire on the Minister and his brother from close range. The two died on the spot. The security personnel rushed to the spot but it was too late.

Bikram Sinha was kidnapped on February 9, before the elections to the State Assembly in which the CPI(M) was returned to power. Official sources said that there had been no demand for ransom. Bikram Sinha was not a member of the CPI(M).

A statement issued by the State Secretariat of the CPI(M) said that 49-year-old Bimal Sinha was a victim of a "deep-seated" conspiracy. He had apparently been targeted because he was popular among the tribal people of Kamalpur and had organised them to resist the NLFT's campaign of violence; he was elected to the Assembly consecutively for five times from Kamalpur. (In the recent Assembly elections, he campaigned against a poll boycott call given by the militants and went on to win in Kamalpur.) Bimal Sinha was known to have had strained relations with a Congress(I) leader in Kamalpur who is alleged to have links with the NLFT. CPI(M) sources said that Bikram Sinha may have been kidnapped so that the militants could get at Bimal Sinha.

One year ago, when the Yusuf Commission report was published at Assembly, opposition asked why long 16 years it was kept hidden ? Barman quoted from the report to say that the state government had not co-operated with the Yusuf Commission. He also quoted from the report to assert that Sinha's wife Vijay Laxmi was nervous while deposing before the commission, "as if she was apprehending trouble in case of any disclosure".

"It clearly shows who did what. Besides, the commission has held Sinha's confidential assistant Sukharanjan Sinha guilty of conspiracy but he was made a witness by the state government and not an accused. This is significant," said Roy Barman.

He buttressed his point further by asserting that of the 27 accused in the assassination, the state government had gone to the Supreme Court to withdraw the cases against NLFT militants Dharma Charan Jamayta, Kamini Debbarma and Vishnu Prasad Jamatya but the plea was rejected. "All 27 accused are now free because they secured acquittal from the high court while the three NLFT militants are safely sheltered in government quarters with monthly stipends," said Roy Barman.