[Suicide of woman after leak, public display of intimate video] Tripura High Court constitutes all-woman SIT after husband also dies by suicide

The Tripura High Court has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising three women to probe into the incident where a woman and her husband died by suicide after a video showing her in a compromising position with another man was leaked and displayed in public in front of the members of the village community.

. The SIT will comprise of the following persons:

1. Lucky Chowhan , Commandant, Central Training Institute, Gokulnagar

2. Soumya Debbarma , SDPO, Belonia

3. Babita Bhattacharjee , I/C, Tripura Human Rights Commission

. The Court had on May 6 taken suo motu cognizance of the incident based on a news report as per which a woman had died by suicide after she faced humiliation from the villagers.

As per the report, a video recording of the young married lady in an intimate and compromising position with a man was shown in public in front of the members of the community of the village who had allegedly gathered to discuss this issue.

"As if this much humiliation was not enough, going by the news reports, what followed was the grossest possible violation of human rights and extreme humiliation that any human being can be subjected to by fellow human beings through most barbaric acts perpetrated on her, " the court noted in its order of May 6.

It had also ordered a police probe into the same to be supervised by the Superintendent of Police, South Tripura.

. The investigation into the case was progressing when the husband of the lady also took his life.

When the matter came up for hearing on June 4, a Bench of Chief Justice Akil Kureshi and Justice S Talapatra noted that the husband had also died.

"While this public interest petition was being heard, another sad development took place when the husband of the lady also committed suicide," the Court noted in the order passed on June 4.

. The Court further observed that the police have registered an FIR for offences punishable under Sections 306 ( abetment of suicide ), 323 ( punishment for voluntarily causing hurt ) and 354 ( assault of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty ) read with Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code. Investigation was partly carried out by the Investigating Officer under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police of the district.

However, the Court said that upon perusal of the investigation carried out so far, it noticed several deficiencies.

. "On previous occasion, therefore, we had discussed with the learned Advocate General about the feasibility of constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT, for short) to carry out further investigation. He had agreed on the spot and later on under specific instructions from the Home Department he had stated that the State administration would be open to any order or direction that the Court may pass in this respect," the Court said.

It, therefore, proceeded to constitute an SIT to carry out the probe.

"In order not to prejudice the ongoing investigation and also the defence of the accused, we do not state our elaborate reasons for handing over the entire investigation to the SIT," the Court added.

The court directed that the State administration should provide all necessary facilities and support to the members of the SIT. The death of the woman's husband would also form part of the SIT investigation, the Court made it clear.

. " The SIT so formed shall carry out the investigation further and place before us the papers of investigation for our perusal on the next date of hearing. It is clarified that the case of the suicide of the husband of the lady of which so far has been registered as an unnatural death case before the concerned police station, shall also form part of this investigation, " the order said.

. The matter will be heard again on June 25.

. [Read Order]

[Suicide of woman after leak, public display of intimate video] Tripura High Court constitutes all-woman SIT after husband also dies by suicide

Areeb Uddin Ahmed

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