Agartala Mar 30: A chilling wave of violence swept through the quiet hamlet of Kalachhara under Sabroom in South Tripura District on Sunday, leaving two dead and a community reeling in terror and sorrow.
This double murder, reminiscent of a brutal mob lynching that claimed the life of local youth Sukanta Chakraborty in 2018, has reignited fears among residents, exposing the fragility of peace in this close-knit region.
The spark of this tragic episode was Asik Debnath, a 28-year-old man whose descent into drug addiction had turned him into a local menace.
For months, residents of Kalachhara lived under the shadow of his erratic and violent behavior. Sources say his daily outbursts left a trail of injuries, with villagers growing increasingly desperate for respite.
On March 30, their patience snapped. A group of local youths, fed up with Asik’s reign of terror, stormed his home to confront him. What followed was a horrifying escalation of violence.
Armed with a machete and an iron rod, the intoxicated Asik launched a ferocious attack on the group. Three youths were seriously injured in the melee.
Amid the chaos, Asik turned his weapon on Deshpriya Bhattacharya, a 35-year-old member of the local community.
Witnesses recount how Asik relentlessly struck Deshpriya’s head with the iron rod, crushing his skull in a brutal assault. In a final act of callousness, Asik dumped Deshpriya’s lifeless body into a nearby pond. Shockingly, no one intervened to save him as the tragedy unfolded.
Word of the killing spread like wildfire, prompting a swift response from law enforcement. A police contingent from Manubazar raced to the scene, soon joined by Sabroom Sub-Divisional Police Officer Nityananda Sarkar.
Together with enraged locals, they surrounded Asik’s house, determined to bring him to justice. But Asik, defiant and unyielding, barricaded himself inside, hurling bricks and stones at the crowd.
At one point, he charged out with his machete and a shovel, forcing the police and residents to retreat momentarily.
Eventually, Asik bolted from the house in a bid to escape. His flight was short-lived. A mob of furious youths intercepted him, unleashing a torrent of rage in a merciless beating.
Left gravely injured and sprawled on the road, Asik was rushed to Kalachhara Community Hospital. There, the attending physician pronounced him dead, marking the second fatality of the day.
The aftermath of this double murder has plunged Sabroom into a state of mourning and unease. Deshpriya Bhattacharya, a beloved figure known for his kindness and dedication to social causes, leaves behind a grieving family.
His only son, Arghyadeep Bhattacharya, had just completed his secondary exams this year, while his wife, Namita Chakraborty, serves as a teacher at Barkhola Primary School under the Sarva Shiksha program.
Despite his affiliations with Left-leaning ideologies, Deshpriya’s contributions transcended politics, earning him widespread admiration.
His senseless death has left an indelible void in the community.
To quell the rising tension, authorities have deployed police pickets across Kalachhara. South District Police Officer M K Chandrashekhar visited the site, overseeing efforts to restore calm.
A forensic team has been summoned to comb through the evidence, while the police have registered two suo motu cases to investigate the killings.
Speaking to reporters, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Nityananda Sarkar recounted the sequence of events: “At around 11:50 am, we received a call at Manubazar police station about two murders in Kalachhara.
Our team rushed to the spot, brought the situation under control, and shifted the bodies to Kalachhara Community Hospital. We’ve initiated a thorough investigation with two registered cases.”
As the sun set on March 30, the streets of Kalachhara stood eerily silent, the weight of the day’s events pressing heavily on its people.
