Tripura top cop awarded life term

While working as Additional SP (CID) in 1998, Mazumder had been entrusted with the responsibility for investigating a serious case of corruption against the then superintendent in the food department, Aparna Das, who had forged the signature of her senior colleague to illegally renew some food licenses in lieu of a hefty bribe.

While investigating the case, Mazumder got involved in an affair with Aparna Das and hid all papers recovered from the food department office implicating Aparna in the case, said special public prosecutor of the case, Lutfur Rahaman Khadim.

Despite specific orders from the then district and sessions judge, Swapan Das, who is now a justice in Agartala high court, Mazumder neither submitted a case diary nor any relevant paper on his findings in the court.

Finally, on justice Swapan Das's order, a case against Mazumder was registered with West Agartala police station in 2009. After four years of trial, additional district and sessions judge Kripankur Chakraborty found Mazumder guilty and awarded him life imprisonment, said Khadim. The court heard altogether 32 witnesses, including SP (CID) Saumitra Dhar, additional SP B N Debbarma and former IG (CID) Amitava Kar, added Khadim.

A Tripura court on Tuesday convicted SP (HQ) Manik Lal Mazumder and sent him to prison for life for grave dereliction of duty, suppression of an official report, destruction of evidence and favouring a person involved in corruption.

Additional district and sessions judge Kripankur Chakraborty gave the verdict.

This is for the first time in Tripura that an SP rank police officer was convicted under sections 409, 201 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 13 (II) of Prevention of Corruption Act. The court will hand down the punishment on Thursday.

It is all very well that Manik Lal Mazumder has been sentenced for life.

But what about Aparna Das and the money she collected?

Has she been punished and more importantly has the money she accumulated been recovered?

Unfortunately, our corrupt bureaucrats and politicians are sometimes sentenced, say 1 in 100000.

But the money they accumulate by corrupt means becomes theirs - no questions asked.

Aam Aadmi Party has made a provision in its constitution to recover the money and any loss they may have made to the government.