Pranab Sarkar, editor of Headline Tripura, has lodged a formal complaint at West Agartala Police Station alleging threats and defamatory remarks made against him in a video interview circulated on social media. A copy of the complaint has also been submitted to the Director General of Police, Tripura.
In his complaint, Sarkar stated that a Facebook page titled The Social Bangla broadcast an interview featuring Ranjit Debbarma, a former militant and ex-chief of the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), who is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly. According to Sarkar, the interview contained “highly provocative, defamatory and threatening statements” directed at him and Sanjit Debroy, editor of Ajker Farind.
Sarkar alleged that during the interview, Debbarma used “derogatory and abusive language with the intention to malign our image in society and to intimidate us.” The complaint further mentioned that the speaker indirectly referred to him and Debroy by citing “black sunglasses,” which Sarkar claims was a deliberate attempt to identify and target them publicly in a threatening manner.
Describing the remarks as “baseless and defamatory,” Sarkar contended that they amount to criminal intimidation. He also alleged that the telecast of the interview on the Facebook page amplified the threats, resulting in mental harassment and reputational harm.
The complaint invokes relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to criminal intimidation, defamation, and intentional insult, along with sections of the Information Technology Act dealing with unlawful online content. Sarkar has urged police authorities to initiate legal proceedings against Debbarma for the alleged statements and against the Facebook page for broadcasting the content, including steps to block or suspend the page in accordance with the law.
