HC upholds single bench order on councillor murder case

Kolkata: Dismissing an appeal, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday upheld a single bench order that directed the CBI to investigate the murder of Tapan Kandu, a Congress councillor of Jhalda municipality in Purulia district. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava, said that no case for interference is made out as it does not find any error in the order of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha

"We are of the opinion that the circumstances which are noted by the learned single judge in respect of the lapses on the part of the investigating agency, the nature and circumstances of the case and the legal position which has been taken note of, fully justify the direction which has been issued in the impugned order," the division bench observed. The CBI has already taken over the investigation and substantial progress has been made, the counsel representing the agency had submitted before the court.Kandu was shot dead near his home in Jhalda town on March 13 evening. The bench said that Justice Mantha, before passing the order for CBI probe on April 4, had called for two reports from the superintendent of police of Purulia district regarding the probe by the state police.