Agartala, 26th May 2026: The Tripura High Court has acquitted two men who were previously sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the 2019 murder of a UCO Bank manager in Agartala.
The case dates back to the night of August 3 and 4, 2019, when Bodhisattya Das, manager of UCO Bank’s Dharmanagar branch, was visiting Agartala. He was reportedly spending time with a friend near Jackson Gate when an altercation broke out.
According to the prosecution, Sukanta Biswas, then an inspector with the Tripura Traffic Police, along with Sumit Banik and Sumit Chowdhury, arrived at the spot in a vehicle. A heated argument allegedly started after Das and his companion objected to their conduct, eventually escalating into a physical confrontation.
During the clash, another accused, Soheb Miah, allegedly attacked Das with a sharp weapon, causing multiple serious injuries.
Police and fire service personnel rushed the injured banker to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Investigators claimed that Das had identified several individuals involved in the assault before his death. Following a complaint lodged by the victim’s mother, police registered an FIR and arrested all accused persons. A trial court later sentenced four individuals to life imprisonment.
However, Sumit Banik and Sumit Chowdhury challenged the conviction before the High Court. The appeal was heard by a division bench comprising Justice T. Amarnath Goud and Justice S. Datta Purkayastha.
Delivering its verdict on Tuesday, the High Court acquitted both appellants of all charges. Defence counsel Subrata Sarkar argued that the two men neither took part in the stabbing nor had prior knowledge of the fatal attack, maintaining that the assault was sudden and carried out solely by the main accused. Defence counsel Subrata Sarkar was accompanied by Lawyer Ayesha Saha Hirawat. The court accepted the defence argument and ordered their acquittal. The remaining two convicts will continue serving their prison sentences.
