Agartala, May 18 (TIWN): A year was passed since the murder of three non-journalist employees at Dainik Ganadoot Bhawan, Palace Compound. While no justice has been found in the sensational case that rocked the state, their death has not been forgotten. In a fateful day, three employees of Dainik Ganadoot, a local Bengali daily, were brutally murdered on May 19, last year.

Later, Sushil Chowdhury, owner-cum-editor, was arrested for masterminding the case. The 74-year-old editor who had the rare opportunity to travel with several Presidents and Prime Ministers on their foreign trips is currently behind the bars and facing prosecution after a brief Police custody since his arrest on June 07, last year. Progress has been made in the trial. His bail plea was rejected by the Supreme Court. Prior to that, the High Court of Tripura also rejected his bail application several times directing the Additional District and Session Court to complete the trial within six months. However, it was not completed by March 20, this year.

Of late, the trial was started on December, last year. A total of 41-witness statements were recorded before the Additional District and Session Judge- Kripankar Chakraborty in favour of the prosecution. The court has also recorded the statement of 6 deposition witnesses. Interestingly, during the two-day long cross-check, the accused Sushil Chowdhury maintained denying almost all the questions put forward by the trial court under section 313 of CRPC. In her statement, Papiya Ghosh, daughter of slain driver Balaram Ghosh stated before the court that me and my mother were offered cash and threatened to suppress the fact. The arguments into triple murder case are scheduled to be held on May 27.

However, Police claimed in the charge sheet submitted to court that no ‘outsider’ was involved in the triple murders. It alleged that the editor’s involvement in nefarious activities, including brokering land deals, was known to the manager Ranjit Ghosh. A few days before the murder, Ranjit is said to have threatened the editor and reveal his involvement in shady activities. The charge sheet also claimed that the editor conspired with driver Balaram to kill Ranjit. The duo strangled and stabbed him during their lunch break on May 19, last year. Proof reader Sujit Bhattacharjee, on hearing the noise, rushed towards Ranjit’s office on the first floor when he was confronted by a knife-wielding Balaram. Both of them engaged in a fierce scuffle and stabbed each other. The case was moved by the Special PP Dilip Sarkar, PP Niladri Mukherjee and DC Kabir.