Will move HC to reopen Kalyanpur massacre case: Tripura CM

Agartala, Dec 12 (PTI) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday said his government will move the high court, seeking to reopen the 1996 Kalyanpur massacre case, in which 26 people were killed by insurgents.

Saha said the BJP-led government in the state wants to ensure justice for those killed in the massacre in Kalyanpur Bazar Colony in Khowai district on the night of December 12, 1996.

Armed insurgents encircled the village and opened fire, killing 26 people in their sleep, in one of the worst militant attacks in the northeastern state. Those killed belonged to the Bengali Hindu community.

Addressing a programme on the anniversary of the incident, Saha said, "Our government will appeal to the high court, seeking permission to reopen the Kalyanpur massacre case to ensure justice." "I paid floral tributes to those who were martyred, and I seek their blessings to give me the strength to fight for justice. The incident that happened 29 years ago shocked the entire nation. Men, women, children and the elderly were killed by terrorists. Everyone is aware who was responsible," he said, blaming the then-ruling CPI(M) for the attack.

He alleged communists mean murderers, rapists, terrorists, and suppressors of people.

"I feel bad that CPI(M) still has 10 MLAs in the assembly. It is stunning that they still manage to get elected. They never talk about the people; they only talk about their cadres," he claimed.

Saha claimed 69 persons were killed during the CPIM's rule in the South Tripura district alone.

He said the BJP has restored peace in the region, and the Centre signed 12 accords to bring militants into the mainstream.

"The terrorists who killed people and indulged in violence will not be spared. Even now, some of those terrorists are working with masks on. Our government will try to punish them," he said. PTI PS SOM