New Delhi: The Calcutta High Court on Friday transferred the investigation into the eight arson deaths in Birbhum, West Bengal to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The progress report is to be submitted on the next day of hearing, i.e on 7 April 2022.
Eight people, all women and children, were killed after their houses were set on fire on 22 March, reportedly in retaliation to the murder of local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Bhadu Sheikh.
A public litigation was filed seeking an inquiry by a central agency.
West Bengal | Calcutta High Court orders CBI probe in Rampurhat, Birbhum case. Report to be submitted by April 7.
SIT was conducting the probe till date
— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2022
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj observed Friday that in the interest of justice and considering the circumstances of the case, the ongoing probe should be transferred to the CBI.
The court denied the state’s request not to bring in the central agency and asked the CBI to immediately take over the investigation. The state-constituted special investigating team which has been probing the violence till now, has been instructed to handover the case to the central agency.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in the crosshairs of a major backlash by the Opposition which claims her party had a habit of condoning political violence. Banerjee has said the violence was an attempt to defame her government.
The Trinamool chief on Thursday met the families of the victims, gave Rs 5 lakh and jobs to the kin of the dead and announced Rs 2 lakh to rebuild the destroyed homes.
TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh died Monday night in a crude-bomb attack. Within an hour of his death, violence erupted in his village Bagtui. Several houses were burnt down, including two belonging to the men accused of Sheikh’s murder. Eight women and children died, their bodies charred beyond recognition.
Seven bodies were recovered from one house alone, while one person died of injuries in the hospital. Over 22 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence, out of which 11 were held on the day of the accident itself.
Taking cognisance of the matter, the state government had formed an SIT headed by additional director general of police, Gyanwant Singh, to probe the incident. The team has now been made redundant by the High Court.
Also read: Mamata compensates for Birbhum mass deaths, but says violence a ‘big conspiracy’ against her