Agartala, June 14: The 12-hour Sabroom subdivision bandh called separately by the ruling CPM and Opposition Congress, blaming each other for a political murder, passed off peacefully.

Except on National Highway 44 extension between Agartala and Sabroom, there was no traffic anywhere in the entire subdivision, while all government offices, including banks and educational institutions, were remained closed throughout the day.

The superintendent of police (South), Arjun Debbarma, said except two clashes between picketers at Kalacherra and Chalitabankul, the bandh was peaceful.

“In Kalacherra, four Congress picketers were injured when suspected CPM cadres allegedly attacked them, while in Chalitabankul, three CPM cadres complained of being attacked by Congressmen. Three CPM and four Congress workers were detained,” Debbarma said.

The latest round of tension and violence was triggered with the discovery of the mangled body of Narendra Tripura, 35, a former CPM cadre, who had joined Congress in a public meeting at Birpara on May 20.

According to a complaint lodged with the police by slain Narendra’s wife Malati Tripura, she had been informed around 5pm yesterday by a relative that Narendra had been murdered and his body was near Kaladhepa lichubagan area.

Malati, accompanied by her father Haradhan Tripura, had rushed to the spot and fainted at the sight of the body with a chopped-off hand.

The news spread like wildfire, and Congressmen from all over Manu Bazar constituency made for the spot under the leadership of Chandi Tripura, Chandan Tripura and Shantipriya Bhowmik.

However, before the Congressmen could reach the spot, local CPM leaders backed by party’s women cadres, had removed Malati to the party office in Manu Bazar.

This added fuel to fire, and Congress workers launched a blockade on the national highway 44 and in the roads of the area.

Around half an hour later, the subdivisional police officer (Sabroom) Debjan Chakma reached the spot and persuaded the irate Congress workers to withdraw the road blockade, promising to rescue Malati and arrest CPM workers allegedly responsible for the murder of Narendra.

There were processions organised by both the parties in different parts of Manu Bazar, where five CPM and six Congress workers were injured in the clashes.

The CPM office secretary Haripada Das, however, dismissed the allegations made by Congress as “baseless and motivated” and said Narendra was a CPM cadre and was murdered by the Congress goons.

He said the police would arrest the real culprits soon.

However, the PCC president Sudip Roy Barman said, “It was vengeful killing by the CPM to prevent further exodus from the party.”

“Actually the CPM cadres have gone crazy because of the largescale desertion from their party over the past five years. We have also captured the Sabroom Nagar panchayat in the last elections and this has created a fear-psychosis in their minds and they are now scared by the distinct possibility of losing both the Sabroom and Manu Bazar Assembly constituencies,” Roy Barman added.