Tripura woman burned alive, cop suspended

Agartala: A police officer was suspended on Saturday for his alleged inaction in connection with the murder of a homemaker in Tripura’s Gomati district.IGP (LO) Manchak Ipper said a case has been registered and a probe has been launched.According to a report, Anjali Sarkar (35), a mother of two and wife of mason Pankaj Sarkar, was allegedly burnt alive in Mirza under Tripura’s Gomati district on Friday. Following the incident, the on-duty officer of Kakraban PS, Sanjay Sarkar, has been suspended. The victim reportedly faced repeated threats, blackmail and assaults allegedly involving local youths connected to the family of a ruling party legislator.

Anjali had allegedly contacted the state emergency helpline (112) just hours before her death, seeking protection.The harassment allegedly began when a local youth, Liron Das, took Anjali’s cellphone, which contained sensitive photos. Attempts at village-level mediation failed, and police later claimed to have the phone in their possession. Names of several individuals have surfaced in connection with the assaults, including Anupam (Manna) Mujumdar, nephew of BJP MLA Jitendra Mujumdar, along with Kinkor Das, Liton Das, Deeptanu Das and Akash Das.

Anjali’s charred body was found by the roadside on Friday, sparking outrage and disbelief in the community. Many locals insist her death was a result of persistent harassment and attacks rather than suicide. Residents are calling for a thorough review of CCTV footage from a nearby state-run bank, which they believe may clarify the circumstances of the tragedy.The incident has triggered widespread anger in the Mirza Gram Panchayat area, with locals holding the legislator’s nephew and his associates responsible for Anjali’s death, while also condemning police negligence.A Congress delegation led by MLAs Sudip Roy Barman and Birajit Sinha met the IG Ipper, who was present at Udaipur.The finance minister, Pranajit Singha Roy, who belongs to the Udaipur sub-division, visited the victim’s home on Saturday morning. "Today, I met the deceased's husband, Pankaj Sarkar, and family members and expressed my deep condolences to them. I also assure them that the party and the govt are always by their side in this difficult time. Along with this, I appealed to the district police to unravel the real mystery of Anjali Sarkar's death through a proper investigation.

Later, I went to the Mirza party office and held a meeting with local officials," he added.