Tripura Congress demands judicial probe into death of college student, violence at Gandatwisa

Agartala: The Tripura unit of the Congress has demanded a judicial probe by a sitting judge of the high court into the death of a student and subsequent incidents of violence at Gandatwisa in Dhalai district.

Paremeshwar Reang, a 19-year-old college student, was injured in a clash between two groups on July 7. He died in a hospital on July 12.

His death led to rioting and arson at Gandatwisa, rendering at least 40 families homeless, officials had said.

“On Tuesday, a five-member team of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) visited the house of Parameshwar Reang and other violence-hit families to take stock of the situation at Gandatwisa,” senior party MLA Sudip Roy Barman told reporters.

“Parameshwar was critically injured in presence of the police. Looting, rioting and arson also took place in the presence of police personnel. That is why we have sought a judicial probe,” he said.

Besides, the TPCC wants “permanent security camps” at sensitive localities of Gandatwisa as part of confidence-building measures, a government job for the victim’s kin and adequate compensation to the violence-hit families, Roy Barman said.

“Only Rs 25,000 has been given to families whose houses were completely gutted, and Rs 5 lakh to the mother of Parameshwar. We want the state government to provide adequate compensation to all the violence-affected families of Gandatwisa,” he said.