Big Bazar in Tripura
Photo: Northeast Now

The state government has declared a CID investigation and exgratia Rs 5 lakh to the victim’s family.

Deputy CM Jishnu Dev Barman, Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath and Revenue Minister NC Debbarma met the mother of the victim at their villages.

Under pressure from various social and students organizations, Big Bazar was closed on May 29.

Infuriated locals had earlier on Monday staged a strong protest against the shopping mall chain Big Bazar in Tripura after the tribal girl Lahari Debbarma committed suicide following alleged harassment by the audacious employees of the mall.

Lahari, a bright student of Auxilium Girls Higher Secondary School, was harassed on May 24 allegedly over stealing some items, which her mother denied.

Reportedly, the school authority had also rusticated her from the school over this incident.

Unable to bear this humiliation, she committed suicide on Saturday at her home at Barkathal.

Meanwhile, the Principal of Auxilium Girls school, Sister Celine said that Lahri was not rusticated from the school as only an FIR was filed against her. Rather she was councelled and sent back home as it is vacation time and the hostels are closed.

A police complaint of unnatural death has been registered but no action is reported to have been taken.

According to primary reports, Lahari along with three of her friends, had gone to Big Bazar for shopping but while coming out she was falsely charged with stealing and made to wait even though no CC TV footage was produced to prove her guilt.

Lahari was allowed to inform her mother Dipali Debbarma in Barkathal over phone  about the incident and asked to pay Rs 4,000.

The helpless lady then asked the Auxilium School authority for help and finally a teacher of the school arrived at the ‘Big Bazar’ with the money and rescued Lahari.

Political circles had expressed shock over the incident.

While the youth wing of ruling Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) wanted to organize a silent candle rally demanding justice for Lahari, but police denied permission and ended up standing vigil.

The NSUI had protested in front of the Big Bazar demanding booking the culprits and the CCTV footage of the entire incident.

Meanwhile, the Twipra Students Federation (TSF) had demanded a high level magisterial inquiry into the harassment of Lahari Debbarmna and the consequent suicide on her part.

Pinaki Das is Northeast Now Correspondent in Agartala. He can be reached at: [email protected]