Tripura Times’ office attack: Main accused finally lands in police net

AGARTALA | Aug 24, 2019:

Days after the attack on local newspaper's Tripura Times office, the main accused – Mati Kapoor, a Karate master at Tripura University was arrested by the Police in Amarpur today.

His accomplice, Samar Chakrabarty, was arrested on Wednesday night but Mati Kapoor managed to give police the slip.

Police sources informed that Mati Kapoor shaved off his head, tried to grow a mustache and beard, wore a dhuti, tied a gamochha on his head and disguised as a "Bihari rickshawwala" to evade the police.

ALSO READ | News daily office in Tripura attacked by miscreants, two injured

However, his cleverness did not pay off. Acting on a specific report about his exact whereabouts, Mati was picked up by West Agartala police personnel led by Officer In charge Deba Prasad Roy.

Police sources said that, Mati was trying to flee Amarpur. But as soon as the police department received the information, they placed surveillance around him with policemen in civvies.

ALSO READ | Northeast leaders condole demise of senior politician Arun Jaitley

The Tripura Times office and also at the residence of sitting High Court judge Justice Arindam Lodh by Kapoor and Chakrabarty triggered huge sensation and became an issue that hit the national media too putting extra pressure on the police department.

"The police department was in severe pressure. The departmentunderstand the seriousness of the crime and we did not, for a minute, call off our man hunt. Police were late but ultimately could get a hold on these accused," said a police officer.

For the last 10 days, police have been carrying out frequent raids in all possible locations including Tripura University campus, constantly monitored his mobile, and interrogated two senior professors MK Singh and Arunava Sharma who were found to be in touch with Mati Kapoor.