In a major legal development, a division bench of the Tripura High Court on Tuesday acquitted two men who were previously serving life sentences for the 2019 murder of a nationalized bank manager.
The high court overturned the lower court’s conviction of the two petitioners, Sumit Chowdhury and Sumit Banik, after finding that the legal concept of “common intention” did not apply to their actions during the fatal roadside altercation.
The High Court’s Ruling
The division bench, led by Justice T Amarnath Goud, delivered the acquittal on Tuesday after hearing the appeals filed by Chowdhury and Banik. The two men had approached the high court seeking a complete reversal of the life sentences handed down to them by a local trial court.
Speaking to reporters following the verdict, senior advocate Subrata Sarkar explained the high court’s reasoning for clearing the two petitioners of the murder charges.
“The division bench headed by Justice T Amarnath Goud on Tuesday acquitted both petitioners of the murder charge on the ground that the provision of common intention for the crime did not match this particular incident,” Sarkar said.
Background of the 2019 Roadside Clash
The case dates back to August 3, 2019, and centers around the death of Bodhisatwa Das, who was then serving as the branch manager of a nationalized bank in North Tripura.
According to case details, a physical altercation erupted on the roadside between Das and a group of four individuals who were having a drinking session nearby. The confrontation escalated rapidly, resulting in Das being stabbed to death.
Four years later, in 2023, the District and Session Court of West Tripura found four individuals guilty of the crime:
- Sumit Chowdhury
- Sumit Banik
- Sukanta Biswas (also referred to in records as Sunakta Das)
- Omar Sharif
The lower court sentenced all four men to life terms of rigorous imprisonment.
Current Status of the Co-Accused
While Chowdhury and Banik succeeded in their appeals on Tuesday, the remaining two individuals convicted in the 2023 trial face different legal standings:
- Omar Sharif: The Tripura High Court has already rejected a review petition filed on his behalf, upholding his sentence.
- Sukanta Biswas (Sunakta Das): Has not yet approached the high court to challenge the lower court’s life sentence.
