Custodial death: Probe team visits police station again
Our Bureau
AGARTALA, January 18, 2020: West Tripura District Magistrate Dr Sandeep Mahatme who is leading a quasi –judicial probe into an incident of custodial death visited west Agartala police station for second time. Sushanta Ghosh, 38, who was arrested in connection with ATM heist case, was found hanging in toilet of the police station lock-up on January 12 last exactly on second day of his remand.
The incident had caused serious outrage in political and social circles forcing the state government to order a magisterial probe. Dr Mahatme and members of the probe team visited the police station for second time Monday.
They spoke to officers and personnel of the station, also questioned four accused persons who were sharing the same cell on the fateful day.
Police authorities had earlier suspended an ASI and Constable for their alleged derailment in duty, but sources said the personnel had no role in the incident. Officer in Charge (OC) Subrata Chakraborty continues to hold the position despite demands for his removal for sake of impartial enquiry.
The Crime Branch had picked up Sushanta Ghosh from his home on basis of confession made by one of four foreign hackers – two Turkish and two Bangladeshis earlier arrested in Kolkata and later brought to Agartala on a transit remand.
The hackers duped over 60 bank customers of different banks mostly State Bank of India (SBI) in Agartala in November last and siphoned nearly one crore rupees.
The hackers had used ‘Skimmer Device’ to crack the ATM Pin numbers and other technical details of the customers. They snooped down in State Bank of India ATM counters at Battala, Indra Nagar and Kaman Chowmuhani as well as a booth of State Co-operative at Post Office Chowmuhani in Agartala city.
Identification of hackers made from CCTV footage installed in ATM booths.
Victim’s family have been saying they have reasonable reasons to doubt police for committing ‘murder’ in the lock up. They even alleged of receiving ‘encounter threat’ from a police officer who came to their residence to execute the arrest.