At the Bogtui village in Birbhum, where eight people were killed after allegedly being set on fire. (Express Photo: Partha Paul) The Calcutta High Court Thursday took on record the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s preliminary report on the violence in the Birbhum district of West Bengal last month, which claimed the lives of at least nine people. It reserved its order on whether the central agency should also probe the murder of the deputy gram pradhan, which allegedly triggered the retaliation violence.
According to Live Law, the advocate appearing for the central agency submitted that the CBI is willing to investigate the murder of the deputy gram pradhan Badu Sheikh, who was associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress.
The court had received several petitions asking for a CBI probe into Sheikh’s death. Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava remarked, “We will examine the report and upload the order to the server.”
The High Court on March 25 had directed the CBI to take over the probe in the matter from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the state government. The court initiated a suo motu case a day after the violence left eight dead, following the murder of the deputy gram pradhan in the Bogtui village. The court had last month called the development an “undisputed shocking incident” that “has shaken the conscience of society”.
On Thursday, the bench took on record the preliminary report submitted by the central agency, with its counsel stating that the latest technology is being used to probe the incident.
The court had directed the West Bengal government “to extend full cooperation to CBI in carrying out the further investigation”. It ordered the SIT set up by the state to stop its probe and hand over not only “the case papers but also the accused and suspects who were arrested in the matter and in custody” to the central agency.
— With inputs from Live Law
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