Congress Tripura unit chief surrenders after conviction

Amid high security and escorted by over 300 party supporters, Congress Tripura unit president Birajit Sinha on Saturday surrendered before a court in northern Tripura over his conviction for violation of an administrative order in 2013.

"The state Congress president surrendered before the Unokoti district and session judge court and district and session judge Gautam Debnath sent him to jail until further order," a police officer said.

He said Sinha, 65, also a former Tripura minister, was forced to surrender before the court after a Tripura High Court division bench on September 7 upheld the three-month jail term given to the Congress leader by the Unokoti district and session judge court in October 2013 for violation of an administrative order.

The high court division bench comprising Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Subhasish Talapatra asked Sinha to surrender before the district court.

The legal battle in the court started on July 20, 2004 when Sinha, accompanied by his personal security officer, had gone to Babur Bazar area in Kailasahar after receiving reports of alleged booth-capturing by the Communist Party of India-Marxist cadres during panchayat elections.

When he reached there, Sinha was reportedly engaged in a confrontation with CPI-M members, leading to firing that left a CPI-M leader dead.

Sinha's advocate Pijush Biswas said the Congress leader had gone to the place carrying his licensed pistol which had 12 bullets, and had five extra bullets.

"His gun was licensed and he was authorised to carry 12 bullets, so he was charged with carrying five extra bullets in violation of the administrative order for which he was convicted in the district and session court which rejected all other charges," he added.

Biswas said a petition was filed before the Supreme Court to vacate the lower court and high court orders in this regard.

The apex court would hear the case on November 2 and the report of Sinha's Saturday's surrender would also be produced before the Supreme Court on that day.