The court passed the order on an appeal filed by convict Ashok Debbarma challenging Agartala bench of Gauhati High Court upholding death sentence awarded by trial court.
A group of about 35 militants of the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) raided the Jarulbachai village in West Tripura district around 11 pm on 11 February, 1997 and set afire many huts.
When the villagers came out of their blazing huts, the ultras opened indiscriminate firing from automatic weapons killing 15 people and injuring four others.
Later the CID filed a charge sheet against 16 insurgents, but 11 of them were absconding.
Additional and Session Judge of West Tripura district released three of the rest five insurgents unconditionally as no evidence was found against them.
Meanwhile, the two accused Ashok Debbarma and Gandhi Debbarma managed to flee from police custody before the verdict.
The police later arrested Ashok, who was sentenced to death.
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