Tripura High Court Orders Preservation of CCTV Footage in East Agartala Assault Case, Seeks Accountability from State
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, May 8, 2026
The division bench of the High Court of Tripura comprising Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice Biswajit Palit has directed the preservation and seizure of CCTV footage related to an alleged assault case involving East Agartala Police Station. The court also sought an explanation and accountability from the state government over the alleged failure of police to register an FIR despite serious allegations of physical assault.
The order came while disposing of a writ petition filed by Ratna Roy, a resident of Dhaleshwar, Agartala. According to the petition, Ratna Roy had submitted a written complaint at East Agartala Women Police Station on April 6 alleging that AMC employee Rabindranath Ghosh and several others physically assaulted her family members failure to makes payment of two lakh in cash as bribe.
As per the allegations placed before the court, the incident took place on the night of April 4 when the accused persons allegedly entered the complainant’s rented residence demanding Rs 2 lakh. When Ratna Roy’s son protested, he was allegedly tied up and assaulted. Her husband and she herself were also reportedly attacked while trying to save him. The accused persons allegedly later took the injured son to East Agartala Police Station.
The petition further alleged that despite the gravity of the allegations and claims of cognizable offences, police authorities did not register an FIR. Instead, it was alleged that the complainant faced procedural inaction even after repeated approaches to the police administration.
Taking serious note of the matter, the High Court directed the Chief Judicial Magistrate, West Tripura, to immediately secure and preserve CCTV footage from East Agartala Police Station covering the period from April 4 to April 6, 2026. The court instructed that the footage be taken into judicial custody without delay to prevent any possible tampering or destruction of evidence.
The division bench also issued notice to the state government asking why the complaint was not converted into an FIR and sought clarification regarding the conduct of the concerned police officials. The matter has raised questions over police procedure and the handling of complaints involving influential persons or government-linked employees.
Senior Advocate Purusuttam Roy Barman appeared on behalf of the petitioner along with advocates Samarjit Bhattacharjee, Kawsik Nath and Tirtharaj Dhar.
During submissions before the court, the petitioner’s counsel argued that despite clear allegations of assault and intimidation, East Agartala Police failed to take prompt legal action against the accused persons. The court was informed that no FIR had been registered even after written complaints were submitted.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for May 12.
The incident has triggered widespread discussion in legal and civil society circles over alleged police inaction, protection of evidence, and the need for transparency in criminal investigations in Tripura.
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