The Calcutta High Court on Thursday accepted the preliminary investigation report of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the massacre at Bogtui village in Birbhum on March 21 in which nine people had lost their lives.
A division bench led by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava had directed the Central investigation agency to probe the violence on March 25. A section of the petitioners prayed before the court that the CBI should also probe the murder of deputy gram pradhan, Bhadu Sheikh. It was Bhadu Sheikh’s murder on March 21 that led to retaliatory violence in the village and several houses were set on fire. The court has reserved its order in the matter.
During the day, the CBI arrested four accused in the Bogtui violence in Mumbai. Those arrested are among the people named in the FIR and had fled to Mumbai after the violence. The accused will be brought to Birbhum on transit remand.
State govt. challenges CBI probe
The West Bengal government challenged the order of CBI probe into the murder of Jhalda Municipality Congress councillor Tapan Kandu on March 13. The State government approached the Division Bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and urged that the matter is heard at the earliest.
On April 4, a bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha directed the CBI to probe the matter. “…there is need for instilling faith of the public at large in any investigation relating to the crime of this nature. The public at large need to see that the Rule of Law is still prevalent, given the gravity and politically sensitive nature of the crime. Justice must be seen to be done,” Justice Mantha had said. The CBI has already started the investigation on Thursday by meeting the family members of Kandu.
