AGARTALA, June 9 (TIWN): The High Court of Tripura on Monday accepted anticipatory bail of Manab Roy, the videojournalist who released the only live video footage of CPI (M) cadres escorting voters inside voting compartment in a polling station at Dhajanagar Anganwadi Centre of Bishalgarh sub-division on April 7 this year.

Manab Roy, who worked at a local television channel, was assigned for videographing poll process at the poll station on April 07 when polling was held at the West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency. The state election department later filed a police complaint against Roy at Bishalgarh police station charging him with breach of trust among other accusations following approval from Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ashutosh Jindal.

Police personnel from the Bishalgarh police station had been frequently visiting Manab’s residence for the past few weeks. The latter was reported absconding for the timeframe.

Following serious public demand for acquittal of Manab Roy, the High Court of Tripura today accepted anticipatory bail on his behalf. Roy is expected to surrender before the court shortly.

The Tripura Newspaper Society and Tripura Electronics Media Society welcomed the move of the High Court later this evening and said that if Manab Roy had to be punished for breach of trust and professional secrecy, the election department personnel had to share the same fate for manipulation of poll process which was exposed by video feeds of Roy. “We consider it as the primary victory of democracy against the design to trap Manab in the false case of breach of trust”, Sanit Debroy and Arun Nath said on behalf of the Tripura Newspaper Society in an official communiqué today.