Kolkata HC: CBI probe into the Birbhum Violence

Kolkata HC on March 25, after four days of the Birbhum violence explosion directed that the inquiry must be handed over from the Bengal government appointing a team with all the shreds of evidence to the CBI (Central bureau investigation) to probe into the violence at BOGTUI village of Bengal under which Trinamool Congress leader BHADU SEIKH was Murdered and the suspects of the murder were also deemed to be amongst the TMC party. The high court had earlier also ordered the CBI to the investigation into BIBHUM murder and killings that took place in BOGTUI village on 21st March. BHADU SEIKH’S murder triggered apparent revengeful killings last month- Nine people were burned alive after their homes were fired at BIRBHUM district.

The Residents of the BOGTUI village on the outskirts of the RAMPURHAT town were shocked out of their sleep by the overwhelming sound of the bomb explosions. They tried to drench the flames and called the police and fire brigade for help. Pleadings were made before the Divisional bench presided over by the chief justice PRAKASH SHRIVASTAVA and also comprises JR BHARDWAJ for transferring the case for investigation to the CBI under which it was debated that the two occurrences-The murder of BHADU SEIKH and the firing of the houses in BOGTUI village in which nine peoples died was interconnected.

In pursuance of the report submitted by the CBI in the earlier order of the court, the court suggested that the report shows that- the violent incident of burning and killing is a direct consequence of the murder of the BHADU SEIKH at 8:30 P.M. on the same day and the incident is the clear cut outcome of the political tackling of the two groups in the village as well as the burning of the houses and the death is indirectly the revengeful plan. On the submission of the report court further ordered that if both the incidents were investigated by a single agency then not only will it be easier to reveal the better truth but also facilitate the trial before the same competent court.

MAMTA BANERJEE visited the village and ordered the arrest including the TMC party colleague, altogether 11 persons were arrested. After the occurrence of the violence, on March 22, a special investigation team (SIT) was formed by the Bengal government to scrutinize the matter which was headed by the Additional director-general, (CID) GYANWANT SINGH to probe the incident, said to the state police. The killings of the nine people who were burnt alive after their houses were fired were probed by a special investigation team itself. State DGP stated that the violence at BOGTUI village happened within an hour of the murder of SEIKH and the murder took place about a kilometre away from the village. The violence brought up a massive political dispute among the political parties.

BJP and congress parties started criticizing the ruling party MAMTA’S TMC. The opposition parties urged for the imposition of president rule due to the deterioration of the Law-and-order situation in the Bengal. On the suspects of the indulgence of the TRINNAMOL district leader, BJP sent a Fact-finding team to the village. In reactance to this MAMTA BANERJEE called it a conspiracy of the BJP by stating that how do they know who is indulged in the violence without probing into it? CBI arrested four people from Mumbai while investigating the BOGTUI village in Bengal on Thursday. This was the first Arrest made by them since it took the probe into the killings. The locations of the suspects were traced through their Mobile phones to the near BOGTUI village.

The identity of the accused was as- BAPPA SHEIKH, SABU SHEIKH, TAJ MOHAMMAD, SERAJUL SHEIKH, they were all residents of the BOGTUI village. These four people were brought back to Kolkata this morning by the CBI on transit remand granted by the Mumbai court till 10th April. CBI had registered a case against 22 people in connection with the incident. The CBI at present has the custody of at least 10 persons who were already arrested by the police regarding the killings amongst them TMC block president ANARUL HOSSAIN was also indulged in such heinous violence.

Such violence on whole affects the peace and tranquillity of the state and its people. National human rights commission has also by itself taken into account the matter and issued notice to the chief secretary and the director-general of police of West Bengal seeking a report of the matter within 4 weeks including the status of the FIR registered concerning the matters, records of the safety of the peoples provided by the state government.