WB post-poll violence: CBI conducts raid at TMC leader's residence

A team of CBI officials raided TMC leader Lalan Ghosh's residence in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Tuesday, as part of its investigation into cases of post-poll violence, agency sources said.

The probe team visited Gopalpur village in Illambazar police station area of the district, where BJP worker Gourab Sarkar was beaten to death shortly after the assembly poll results were declared on May 2, and conducted raids at Ghosh's residence, the sources said.

Several documents, including a mobile phone, were seized from the TMC leader's home, they said.

The central agency has so far filed 34 FIRs, and made three arrests in connection with the post-poll violence cases two in Nadia and one in North 24 Parganas.

The Calcutta high court had, on August 19, ordered that probe into cases of alleged rape and murder in the aftermath of the assembly elections be held by the CBI, taking note of an NHRC report in the matter.

The West Bengal government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court order that directed a court-monitored CBI investigation into the cases.