Basu says CBI biased; party to defend Suhrid Dutta

Kolkata, July 13 (UNI) Firing another salvo at the CBI over the Tapasi Malik murder case, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu today reiterated that the central agency was bias against the CPI(M) and the party would defend Mr Suhrid Dutta, the arrested zonal committee secretary.

Going a step ahead, CPI(M) State Secretary Biman Basu alleged that the CBI was ''acting like a political party'' and committing ''excesses'' in the name of investigation.

''It is known to all that RAW and CBI are against us. Inspite of that the Chief Minister has handed over the case to it... we shall defend Dutta in the court,'' he told reporters after coming out of the CPI(M) state Secretariat meeting.

The meeting, having a single agenda on the issue, discussed at length the situation arising out of the arrest of Mr Dutta and chalked out an action plan to provide legal support to the accused and launch a campaign against the 'conspiracy' hatched against the party.

Alleging that the CBI investigating officer was acting ''beyond his jurisdiction,'' Mr Biman Basu said even reporters and photo journalists were being called by the agency.

''The CBI officials are committing excess. CBI must know that it cannot be an alternative to any political party,'' he said.

Mr Dutta, who the CBI accused as the ''main planner'' of the crime, was remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a district court yesterday after CBI produced him for the second time following narco-analysis and polygraph test.

The defence counsels alleged in the court that CBI had violated human rights in the name of investigation by putting Mr Dutta under mental and physical torture.

Mr Dutta was arrested on the basis of interrogation of Debu Malik, the prime accused in the case, who had alleged that the CPI(M) leader had engaged him and four other strangers to kill Tapasi.

On the basis of his description, CBI portrait experts put out sketches of the four unidentified persons to be displayed in public places and announced a cash reward of Rs one lakh for any information that could lead to their arrest.

The charred body of the 18-year-old Tapasi, stated to be an activist of the Trinamool Congress led anti-land acquisition movement at Singur, was recovered from inside the project area of the Tata Motors's small car factory in December last year.

The victim's family and the Trinamool Congress alleged that she had been raped and killed by CPI(M) men to avenge her involvement in the movement.

UNI