Tripura CPM leader among 4 arrested for murder of his wife

Jitendra Das, 66, joined the party about a decade ago and was till last year, head of the ruling CPM’s paschim zila parishad (west district committee) and was part of the sadar sub-divisional committee at the time of his wife’s death.

The CPM has expelled him from the party following the incident.

The four accused initially told police that Kalapana’s death was a suicide, but investigations revealed it was more likely a murder, according to the prosecution’s main advocate. “They (Jitendra and his relatives) could not give any evidence of it being a suicide while claiming it to be one,” said public prosecutor Tapan Saha. “They also said they usually woke up at 8 am every morning, but that day they woke up much earlier, which only adds to the suspicion,” Saha said.

Saha added that the investigation has shown the cuts inflicted on Kalpana’s body were most likely not by a shaving blade, nor by her own hands, as claimed by her husband and his relatives.