The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday stayed a single bench order for forming a joint special investigation team (SIT) comprising the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the West Bengal Police to probe an attack on Enforcement Directorate officials on January 5.
A division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya stayed the single bench order pointing out that till the appeals are decided, the direction for the constitution of SIT must remain and the State police shall also not investigate the matter.
“ED has challenged the order of the single judge which constituted an SIT on the grounds that the ED had not prayed for transfer of the predicate offence. On a reading of the order we find that the single bench has opined that the involvement of CBI in investigation of the current cases would be imperative considering the ineptitude of local police to handle the matter due to the political affiliations of the accused. In the background of these findings, the question to be decided in the appeal is whether the State police can be part of the SIT,” the bench observed.
