AGARTALA, Oct 2 (TIWN): Tripura's 28 years journalist Santanu's murder case is no more being handled by Tripura police but it is now under SIT which the state govt has formed with 5 members. After 3 persons were arrested in Santanu murder case, nobody was arrested so far. However SP West Abhijit Saptarshi told TIWN on Monday that the Santnau murder case is now totally under SIT and no more is handled by West Police. When 90 % journalists are in demand of CBI probe into TV journalist Shantanu Bhowmik’s murder, the Tripura government constituted a five-member Special Investigative Team (SIT), headed by Inspector General (IG) TSR and Training G S Rao.

On the other side, when Manik Sarkar's puppet Press Club based journalists have finally succeeded to down Santnau murder case under Tripura police, Tripura journalists to show agitation in demand of CBI inquiry in Santanu murder case at Circuit house on Gandhi Jayanti. Question raises, in what basis, public should trust SIT. Not a single chit fund case was solved by SIT and now they will solve Santanu murder case ?

The Cabinet discussed the murder and decided to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a senior Indian Police Service officer to probe it," Information and Finance Minister BhanulalSaha told reporters after the cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who also holds the home portfolio.

"As his mother is a government employee and his younger sister is still studying, the government, despite its willingness, is unable to offer a government job to Santanu's family," Saha added.

About a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation or a High Court Judge, as demanded by journalists' organisations and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress, the Minister said the SIT probe had been decided on after a review of the progress of the probe in the case.

"People must keep faith in police's ability in handling such cases. We hope the police will be able to provide justice to the victim's family," he added.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Southern Range) Arindam Nath said that so far three people, including main accused Sachin Debbarma, have been arrested for the killing of the journalist.

Sachin, a surrendered militant of National Liberation Front of Tripura and currently a member of tribal outfit Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), was involved in crime in Mandai area in western Tripura where the journalist was killed, police said.

Meanwhile, the situation returned to normal on Tuesday in most parts of west Tripura and Khowai districts where IPFT supporters have allegedly carried out a series of attacks since September 19, including the one in which the 28-year-old journalist was killed.

However, police said, 29-year-old driver Jiban Debnath of a private vehicle was still missing since September 20 and a search was on for him.

A journalist of a Delhi-based newspaper had hired the private vehicle to visit Khumulwng along with a local guide. IPFT members attacked them and burnt the vehicle. While the journalist and his guide reported to the police on September 21, the driver remains missing.