Matilal Karmakar Dies After Violence Near Khowai Counting Centre, Police Say No Evidence Yet of Death Due to Lathi Charge
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, October 5, 2026
Tension erupted outside the Bharat Sardar Para School counting centre in Khowai district on Monday during the counting of the TTAADC Village Committee election, following a confrontation between supporters of certain independent candidates and the Tipra Motha Party.
According to a press release issued by the Khowai District Superintendent of Police, the incident occurred between approximately 9:45 AM and 10:00 AM, when supporters of the rival groups gathered outside the counting hall. Allegations and counter-allegations reportedly led to a verbal altercation, which subsequently escalated into a scuffle among the supporters.
The police said security personnel deployed at the counting centre intervened after assessing the possibility of a breach of peace and public order and attempted to disperse the gathering.
According to the police version, the situation subsequently turned more serious when an unruly mob allegedly began pelting stones at security personnel.
The security forces then resorted to what the police described as the minimum use of force to disperse the crowd and prevent further escalation. The situation was brought under control, the police said.
At around 10:15 AM, police received information that a man was lying in an injured condition behind a shop approximately 100 metres from the counting centre, along the main road.
The injured man was identified as Matilal Karmakar, 55, son of Late Bijoy Kumar Karmakar and a resident of Lathabari under Khowai Police Station.
Police said Karmakar had sustained bleeding injuries to his head and other parts of his body. He was immediately shifted to Khowai District Hospital for emergency medical treatment with the assistance of Fire Brigade personnel.
Considering the seriousness of his condition, he was subsequently referred to AGMC & GBP Hospital in Agartala.
However, despite medical intervention, Karmakar was declared dead by the attending medical authority at the Agartala hospital.
The death has raised serious questions over the circumstances in which Karmakar sustained the injuries, particularly amid reports and allegations surrounding police action during the clash.
However, the Khowai District Police, in its official statement, said that the preliminary investigation has not found any evidence to establish that Karmakar was injured as a result of a lathi charge by security personnel.
The police stressed that the exact cause of the injuries and death remains under investigation and will be established through further investigation.
The statement does not, at this stage, conclusively identify how Karmakar sustained the fatal injuries.
Following the incident, security deployment in and around the counting centre has been further enhanced, according to the police.
The district police said that the law-and-order situation is presently stable.
The incident has nevertheless added to the tension surrounding the TTAADC Village Committee election counting process, with rival political groups and supporters involved in allegations and counter-allegations.
The circumstances leading to Karmakar's injuries, the sequence of events between the counting centre and the location where he was found, and the precise cause of his death are now expected to be key areas of the ongoing investigation.
The police have maintained that no conclusion should yet be drawn linking the death to the security forces' lathi charge, pending completion of the investigation.
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