Tripura HC cancels bail of six accused in Badal Shil murder case

Agartala: The Tripura High Court has revoked the bail granted to six accused in the murder case of CPI(M) activist Badal Shil, following a petition filed by his daughter, Pallabi Shil, challenging the earlier decision of the Additional District and Sessions Judge of South Tripura.

A single bench headed by Justice Biswajit Palit directed the six accused to surrender to jail authorities by October 7.

The court noted that granting bail at this stage was unjustified, as several crucial witnesses were yet to depose, and the liberty of the accused could intimidate the victims’ families and other witnesses.

Shil, a candidate in the Zilla Parishad elections, was brutally attacked by miscreants on July 12, 2024, at Chottakhola Bazar and succumbed to his injuries the following day. Following the attack, police filed an FIR and later charge-sheeted seven accused, who had been in judicial custody since September 11, 2024.

Earlier, the High Court had repeatedly rejected bail petitions filed by the accused, including on March 7, 2025.

However, on May 25, 2025, the Additional District and Sessions Judge granted bail to six of them. In her petition, Pallabi Shil alleged that the accused had threatened her, her mother, and other witnesses after securing bail.

Senior advocate Purushottom Roy Barman, representing the petitioner, argued that the lower court’s bail order violated the High Court’s earlier directions and posed a serious risk to the trial process.

After hearing the matter, the High Court upheld the victim’s family plea and cancelled the bail. The case was pursued on behalf of the family by senior advocates Purushottom Roy Barman, Samarjit Bhattacharjee, and Kaushik Nath.