12-hour strike stalls life in Tripura

IANS AGARTALA, FEBRUARY 9 A 12-hour shut down, called by the ruling CPI-M as well as the opposition Congress over the killing of two men, crippled normal life in parts of northern Tripura Monday. While government and non-government offices, shops, markets and banks remained shut, rail and vehicular traffic were disrupted by the strike in Kailashahar (the headquarters of Unokoti district), 170 km north of here."Ruling CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) and the opposition Congress separately called the 12-hour strike to protest the killing of two men Sunday," police spokesman Uttam Bhowmik told IANS. The strike was peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere. Police said two men - Anjan Deb, 40, and Palab Nath, 37 - were murdered and their bodies were found near a dam located on the river Manu. Police suspect that the killing might have occurred due to rivalry over the drug trade. A probe is in progress.