After 72 hours of hooliganism on the street,  Tripura Police have registered an FIR against a rowdy gang including against one influential ruling party’s leader following death threats in public on a senior Editor in Agartala.

However, allegedly a  section of Tripura Police is helping the criminals to evade the arrest and flee from the locality.

The controversy stems from an incident reported on February 14 in Milan Sangha area of the city, where Shanit Deb Roy,  Editor of Ajker Fariyad and Chief Editor of News Now and General Secretary of the Assembly of Journalists, allegedly received open threats from the gang in broad daylight in presence of police. 

The accused ruling party leader of Milan Sangha area, along with his gang members Shitesh Bhattacharya, Malay Lodh, Mantu Debnath, Uday Bhaskar Chakraborty, Gauranga Rakshit, and a few others, have long been accused of looting, land grabbing, and extortion. When these alleged misconducts and illegal activities were reported by Ajker Fariad, threats, slander, and organized attacks were subsequently directed against the editor.

Posters bearing red cross marks were circulated, which media representatives described as an act of symbolic target of murder.

Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha today publicly condemned the incident, emphasizing that threats against journalists undermine democratic values and freedom of expression. Following his statement, A D Nagar and Amtali police stations reportedly launched formal investigation.

Chief Minister said, "Our government is journalist-friendly. From today's meeting, I want to say that many people speak against journalists from the comfort of their chairs and resort to rude language and lies, which I strongly protest. This is not our culture. We will not tolerate such things under any circumstances. We will do whatever we have to do in the future. We want to respect everyone. We want to move forward with everyone. We want to create a new Tripura. We will not tolerate such things. We want to give respect to all."

According to police sources, multiple complaints have been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, 2000. 

Officials confirmed that cases have been documented and preliminary investigations are underway to determine the nature of the threats and identify those responsible.

Separately, allegations of defamatory and inflammatory social media content targeting Agartala Press Club President Pranab Sarkar were also brought to the attention of law enforcement authorities. Complaints in this regard have likewise been recorded, and cyber monitoring units are examining digital evidence.

Meanwhile, media organizations across Tripura have reiterated that the freedom of the press must be safeguarded and that any attempt to silence journalists through intimidation should be dealt with strictly under the law.

The developments have triggered broader discussions about press freedom, political accountability, and the role of institutions in upholding democratic norms in the state.