Tripura Congress Leader Files Complaint Against CM; Charged With Forgery

A day after senior Congress leader Gopal Chandra Roy filed a police complaint accusing Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb of spreading fake information about COVID-19 situation, he was booked on Sunday for allegedly using a forged letterhead.

However, the complaint against the chief minister was yet to be registered, police said. Roy, who was a former leader of the opposition in the state Assembly, alleged that policemen vandalized Roys house and attempted to 'murder him' on Sunday.

He had lodged the complaint against Deb, who also holds the home portfolio, at the New Capital Complex (NCC) police station here on Saturday.

Roy claimed that the chief minister on Tuesday told a press conference that 19 coronavirus cases were detected in Manipur and 16 in Karimganj district of Assam.

Also Read: COVID-19 Pandemic: Hand Sanitiser Becomes Part Of Funeral Kit In Tripura

In reality, the Congress leader asserted, Manipur had only two cases and Karimganj one on Tuesday. Roy sought appropriate action against the chief minister for allegedly spreading 'fake information'.

On Roy's complaint, Officer-in-charge of NCC Police Station Subimal Barman said, "It requires permission from the magistrate. As today is Sunday, we shall seek permission tomorrow."

An advocate, Arabinda Deb, an advocate, on Sunday filed a complaint with the same police station charging Roy with forgery and criminal conspiracy to malign the image of the chief minister.

"I have noticed that the complaint was made by Sri Gopal Ch. Roy on a forged letterhead in which he has used the State Emblem of India illegally with an intention to harm the reputation of our honourable Chief Minister Shri Biplab Kumar Deb," the advocate said in his complaint.

Barman said the complaint against Roy was registered. Roy alleged that police vandalized Roy's house at Ramthakur Para area of Agartala and attempted to murder him. 

They also allegedly did not allow his advocate and Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Pijush Kanti Biswas to enter Roy's house.

Biswas said, "The complaint against Roy is weak. I was shocked to see such a large number of policemen in front of Roys house. I am not only the TPCC president, but also a senior advocate. It is illegal to deny entry of an advocate to the house of his client. A ‘gundaraj is prevailing in the state." BJP spokesperson Dr Ashok Sinha said the law will take its own course.

Regarding Roy’s complaint against Deb, he said, "It could be a slip of the tongue on the part of the chief minister. I think it is silly to raise such complaint against the chief minister at this hour when the entire country is fighting with coronavirus.