Tripura police seek phone data in mob lynching case

Police said as witnesses in the case were not cooperating, investigators have turned to telecom companies for phone data to trace the killers.

Agartala: In a new development in the mob lynching of three youths in Tripura on Sunday, police has sought records of cell phone location from telecom companies to trace the killers.

The victims who hailed from Sepahijala district were thrashed by an irate mob in North Maharanipur, a hamlet in Khowai district dominated by indigenous people under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council. The mob attacked them after suspecting them to be cattle lifters, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Teliamura Sona Charan Jamatia said.

“Since we are getting less response from the public, we have sought mobile phone records. Expectedly, we will get a tip-off from the records. A thorough analysis of the records shall reveal the phone numbers that were active in the area during the incident. It will help us to create a list of suspects using the phone numbers”, Jamatia said.

"We have gathered complete details of the incident. But, people of the area have been silent on the issue. The investigating officer has visited the spot and talked to local villagers to gather inputs but the investigation could not make a breakthrough”, Jamatia said.

To a query whether a special investigation team has been formed, he said, “a team of three officers has been formed for an effective probe. Sub Inspector Jayanta Das is the investigating officer and another SI level officer is helping him in the investigation. I am personally monitoring daily developments in the case”.

Superintendents of Police Khowai Kiran Kumar said, “till now we are not able to find out who actually did it. We have collected some statements of the locals who witnessed the incident. We are doing our best and hope to see a breakthrough in the case soon”.

Police sources said three FIRs have been registered already in connection with the incident. Two cases were registered with Kalyanpur police station and one with Mungiakami police station.