Tripura CPI-M leader, who committed suicide, cremated

The body of veteran CPI-M leader and five-time legislator Sunil Kumar Chowdhury, who committed suicide on Sunday, has been cremated with full state honours, official said here on Monday.

According to police, Chowdhury, 85, a former Tripura assembly deputy speaker, committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence in Sabroom town on Sunday.

"His body was cremated with full state honours on late Monday evening at his residence in Sabroom " a south Tripura district administration official said. Sabroom is in southern Tripura and 140 km from here.

Chowdhury joined the Left party in 1953 at the age of 25. He was elected to the state assembly five times since 1962 and became deputy speaker of the Tripura assembly in 1993, a statement issued by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said.

He established the Left party's base in Sabroom and adjoining areas and donated his land to build the CPI-M's divisional office in Sabroom, bordering Bangladesh.

He is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son.