Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has ordered the transfer of the investigation into the 2010 killing of Rabin Ghose, a Trinamool Congress supporter, at Jangipara in Hooghly to the Central Bureau of Investigation, citing serious shortcomings in the probes conducted by the state police and the CID.
Passing the order on a writ petition filed by the victim’s widow, Latika Ghose, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh directed the DIG (Special), CID—who last conducted the investigation—to hand over all case records, original case diaries, materials collected and alamats to the CBI.
The court further directed the Zonal Director of the CBI to assign the investigation to an officer of the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police and ensure that the probe is diligently monitored.
The court recorded that Rabin Ghose, a supporter of the Trinamool Congress, sustained a fatal gunshot injury during a Panchayat election-related incident on February 14, 2010, under the Left-Front regime.
It noted that the initial investigation was conducted while the accused officer-in-charge of Jangipara Police Station continued to remain posted there and that the probe was first handled by his immediate superior.
Justice Ghosh observed that several eyewitnesses had given statements before a magistrate alleging that the officer-in-charge fired at the victim
from close range. These statements were consistent with early medical opinions indicating a near-range firearm injury. However, successive investigation reports failed to adequately consider these materials and relied on contradictory expert opinions without satisfactory explanation.
The court also noted non-compliance with earlier judicial directions and held that prior government sanction was not required to prosecute the accused officer, as the alleged act could not be treated as one committed in dischargeof official duty.