The Tripura High Court on October 13 dismissed a petition filed by former Chief Minister and senior CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar seeking to quash an FIR registered against him over alleged inflammatory remarks made at a party rally on August 10, 2026.
Advocate Raju Datta, representing the state government, said the High Court’s Division Bench rejected Sarkar’s plea, allowing the police investigation to continue. The court also directed the investigating officer to conduct a proper investigation and file a chargesheet if sufficient evidence is found.
According to Datta, the FIR was registered at West Agartala Police Station on August 16 as Case No. 109/2026, following a complaint filed by Prabir Roy over statements allegedly made by Sarkar at a public programme six days earlier.
The complaint alleged that Sarkar had made remarks suggesting that the country and the state were being pushed towards a path of militant agitation. The complainant claimed that the statements could undermine national and state sovereignty and potentially create discord among communities.
Following the registration of the FIR, police launched an investigation. Sarkar subsequently approached the High Court’s Division Bench, arguing that the allegations were baseless and that the statements attributed to him did not disclose any cognisable offence.
Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya appeared for Sarkar, while Datta represented the state government.
With the High Court declining to quash the FIR, investigators can continue examining the allegations and collecting evidence. The investigating officer will assess the findings and submit a chargesheet if the investigation establishes a prima facie case, Datta said.
The dismissal of Sarkar’s petition does not establish the allegations against him as proven. The case will proceed through the investigative process in accordance with the law.