Tripura Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma, who is also an MLA from the Tipra Motha Party, has filed a defamation case against fellow party MLA Ranjit Debbarma in the Judicial Magistrate Court of Agartala.
The case stems from alleged defamatory statements made by Ranjit Debbarma during the campaign for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, which concluded recently.
Advocate Shankar Lodh, representing the minister, confirmed that the complaint was officially filed today.
He stated that during the campaign, Ranjit Debbarma made several inappropriate remarks about the minister, including referring to him as a “bald minister.” He also allegedly claimed that after becoming a minister, Animesh Debbarma had been living in a government quarter while acquiring multiple properties, including two flats and land, and was planning to purchase another property in Delhi.
The advocate refuted these allegations, clarifying that the minister had purchased a piece of land worth ?1 lakh on the outskirts of Agartala back in 2006 and does not own any other property. He further stated that the minister neither owns flats in Delhi nor has plans to buy one.
He also emphasized that Animesh Debbarma comes from a financially stable family background. His father, a retired teacher, owns one flat, while his daughter, an Assistant Professor, owns another property in her name. Additionally, the minister previously worked at Indian Oil before resigning to enter politics.
According to the advocate, Ranjit Debbarma also made serious allegations suggesting that the minister had misappropriated funds and engaged in inappropriate conduct, including spending nights with women in a forest bungalow while intoxicated. These claims, he said, are entirely baseless and have prompted the legal action.
The case has been filed in the Judicial Magistrate Court, West District, Agartala, with the next hearing scheduled for April 30.
