Birbhum killings: Calcutta HC orders CBI probe in TMC leader's murder

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered a CBI investigation into the murder of Trinamool Congress leader Bhadu Sheikh, which apparently led to the Birbhum carnage, resulting in the death of nine persons.

The high court had earlier ordered a CBI investigation into the killings at Bogtui village.

Prayers were made before a division bench presided by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava for ordering a CBI probe into the murder of Bhadu Sheikh as well, claiming that the two incidents were interlinked.

"The CBI is directed to investigate the murder case of Bhadu Sk along with the investigation in the case of Bogtui house burning and murder case," the bench, also comprising Justice R Bharadwaj, ordered.

The bench had on March 25 ordered that the probe into the March 21 violence at Bogtui village be handed over to the CBI from the West Bengal government-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The state DGP had on March 22 said the incident of fire in houses at Bogtui took place within about an hour of the murder of Sheikh, the deputy chief of the local panchayat.

The place of the murder of Sheikh is around a kilometre away from Bogtui. The bench observed that the second incident prima facie seems to be the fallout of the murder of Sheikh.

It said that the object of issuing the necessary direction is to ensure appropriate action against the person responsible for the incident.

"On the basis of the material which is available before us, we are of the opinion that the said object can be more appropriately achieved if the incident of murder of Bhadu Sk is also investigated by the CBI along with the incident of burning of houses and murder of villagers of Bogtui which took place shortly thereafter."

The order further read: "The report suggests that the incident is an outcome of the rivalry amongst the members of two groups in the village and that burning of the houses resulting in the death of eight persons was a retaliatory plan. In the applications filed before this Court, it has been alleged that the unfortunate incident of setting ten houses on fire is not an isolated and independent incident, rather it is a counter-blast to the murder of Bhadu Sk who was the Upa-Pradhan, allegedly belonging to the ruling party in the state. Both the incidents took place within a gap of about two hours. Material placed on record prima facie suggests a close relationship and linkage between the two incidents. The incidents are alleged to be a result of political rivalry. The allegation of the applicants that both incidents form part of the common conspiracy and continuous cause of action cannot be ignored," read the order.

The court directed the state government-appointed SIT to immediately hand over the probe in the case of the murder of Bhadu Sheikh to the CBI along with all the records of the investigation conducted so far as also the accused persons who have been arrested.

The bench directed the CBI to file a report of investigation in both the cases on the next date of hearing on May 2.