Calcutta HC hands TMC leader’s murder probe to CBI

The Calcutta High Court on Friday handed over Trinamool Congress leader Bhadu Sheikh’s murder probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) saying that the case is interlinked with the arson at Birbhum’s Rampurhat which resulted in the death of nine persons.

Sheikh was TMC deputy Panchayat Pradhan from Bogtui, Birbhum. The Bench hearing the case said that it is prima facie of the view that the murder of Sheikh and the arson at Birbhum are “interconnected”.

“The investigation in the case of Bhadu Sheikh murder should also be done by the CBI as both the incidents are interconnected and the investigating agency in Bhadu Sheikh murder case is trying to cover up the issue which will affect the investigation by CBI,” the bench said.

The court observed that the report submitted by the CBI further suggests that the incident is an outcome of rivalry amongst the members of two groups in the village and that the burning of the houses resulting in the death of at least eight persons was a retaliatory plan.

Meanwhile, the CBI on Thursday arrested four persons from Mumbai for their alleged involvement in the violence in West Bengal’s Birbhum.

The arrested accused have been identified as Bappa SK alias Sal Mohamad, Sabu SK alias Sadril SK, Taj Mohammad alias Chand and Serajul SK alias Poltu.

The accused persons involved in the Bogtui carnage at Rampurhat, Birbhum district of West Bengal had absconded after the incident. CBI planned a meticulous operation, traced their hideout in Mumbai using technical and human intelligence and arrested the four accused.

These are the first arrests made in the case after the CBI took over the case on March 21 and registered an FIR into the matter following the order of the Calcutta High Court.

“The arrests were made on the basis of technical evidence. They are among 21 accused who were named in the FIR,” said a senior CBI officer.

The CBI official said that the accused persons escaped to Mumbai after the incident. A team of CBI was tracking them.

The arrested persons were produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court to get transit remand till April 10.