Birbhum killings: Calcutta HC orders West Bengal police to hand over case to CBI
Kolkata, Mar 25: The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the West Bengal Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) to hand over the Birbhum violence case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The state opposed the prayer for CBI or NIA probe, submitting that an enquiry is being conducted by a Special Investigation Team formed by the West Bengal government and prayed that the SIT be given time to proceed with it.
Eight people, including two children, were charred to death as nearly a dozen huts were set ablaze in Bogtui village early Tuesday in a suspected fallout of the murder of a ruling Trinamool Congress leader and 'upa-pradhan' (deputy chief) of the local panchayat.
Following the conclusion of submissions by all parties over two days, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj said it will consider the arguments and pass the order.
Additional Solicitor General Y J Dastur submitted that the CBI or the NIA are ready to initiate a probe if an order is passed by the high court to that effect.
He informed the court that a seven-member team from Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Delhi, will proceed to Bogtui village upon reaching Kolkata on Thursday evening for collection of samples from the crime scene as ordered by the bench earlier.
They will be provided with security by CRPF personnel, Dastur said.
Advocate General S N Mookherjee placed the case diaries of the criminal case lodged in connection with the matter along with a report on the investigation being carried out, as directed by the court.
The advocate general opposed prayers by petitioners for transfer of the case to CBI or NIA and cited several earlier judgements of different courts in support of his argument.
Mookherjee
submitted
that
31
CCTV
cameras
have
been
installed
at
the
place
of
crime
as
ordered
by
the
bench
on
Wednesday.
The
petitioners,
seeking
an
enquiry
by
an
agency
other
than
those
controlled
by
the
state
government,
alleged
that
there
is
a
possibility
of
tampering
with
evidence
if
a
probe
by
CBI
or
NIA
is
not
ordered
immediately.
Appearing for one of the petitioners, advocate Rabishankar Chatterjee said that the high court had ordered a CBI investigation into the Nandigram police firing incident in which 14 people were killed in March 2007 during an anti-land acquisition stir when the Left Front was in power.
Another petitioner submitted that villagers of Bogtui near Rampurhat town were terrified and many of them left for other places for safety.
The AG stated before the court that the authorities have provided protection to witnesses and taken confidence-building measures.
He informed the court that post-mortem examinations on all bodies were videographed, except one.