Sribhumi graves exhumed to solve 15-year-old disappearance of Tripura teacher

Authorities in Assam’s Sribhumi district have exhumed three unidentified graves in an effort to solve the 15-year-old disappearance of Ashish Shome, a teacher and timber trader from Tripura.

Following an order from the West Tripura Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court, a team including Tripura Police, local health department personnel, and district administration officials opened the graves at the Sribhumi Town Graveyard. The skeletal remains were collected for forensic examination and DNA testing to determine if any belong to Shome, who went missing in May 2011.

Investigations into Shome’s disappearance revealed that kidnappers had allegedly demanded a ransom. His wife, Shelly Shome, reportedly paid a portion of the demanded funds in the Baraigram area, but he was never released. While previous attempts to identify remains in the area failed to produce a match, this new round of DNA analysis aims to provide a definitive link to the case.