In a big blow to state Congress, four months ahead of the state-wide civic polls, the division bench of the High Court of Tripura upheld the three months' jail term handed down to incumbent PCC president and Congress MLA Birajit Sinha.
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Sinha, in a 2004 case in which two persons including his person guard was killed and equal number injured, was found guilty of possessing more ammunition than entitled along with his licence revolver.
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This was declared during a press conference by Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman in the Congress Bhavan yesterday.
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Barman accompanied by PCC member Pijush Biswas who had represented Sinha in court said that though they 'accept' the verdict of the High Court but would file an appeal in the Supreme Court.
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A division bench comprising Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Gupta and Justice Shubhasish Talapatra Monday upheld the judgement by the district and session court in Unakoti district in October 2013 charged with carrying five extra bullets in violation of the administrative order and for which he was convicted.
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The division bench, however, rejected three of the government's four-point appeal by rejecting the plea for enhancing Sinha's punishment, charges of murder and violation of Arms Act.
The case started on July 20, 2004 when Sinha, accompanied by his personal security officer (PSO), had gone to Babur Bazar area under Kailasahar subdivision after receiving reports of alleged booth capturing by CPI (M) in Panchayat election that day.
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There the Congress leader was allegedly encircled by CPI (M) hooligans to which his PSO had to open fire in which one Abdul Hannan was killed beside two other injured with bullet hit.
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Sinha's PSO Nikhi Deb who was also allegedly attacked by the CPI (M) cadres also later succumbed to his injuries.
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Additional Public Prosecutor Rakhal Chandra Debnath who appeared in the court on behalf of the government said that Sinha's bail bond has been cancelled and has been directed to surrender with a month's time and has been punished three months imprisonment but that will not affect his legislatorship or from contesting election in the future.
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Meantime, the CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar viewed that the verdict of the court sure will have a political impact in the state especially in the Unokoti district from where Sinha has been contesting election and also inside Congress.
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However, Congress viewed that the 'conspiracy' of the ruling CPI(M) government to pin Birjit Sinha down with false charges which had fallen flat and today's verdict of the court is also an indirect victory for them.
