Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into panchayat member's murder

The Calcutta High Court Wednesday directed the CBI to probe a murder case in West Bengal's Birbhum district in which a leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress is allegedly involved.

Observing that the investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the director general of West Bengal Police was "tainted by extraneous influence", the bench of Justice Harish Tandon directed the CBI to probe all aspects of the murder of Sagar Ghosh, that took place in Birbhum district in July last year.

Ghosh, an independent panchayat member, was killed in 2013, days after Birbhum Trinamool president Anubrata Mondal gave an inflammatory speech inciting party workers to resort to violence against independent candidates and hurl bombs at the police if they were prevented.

While Mondal was named in the first information report (FIR) by the victim's family, the SIT dropped his name from the charge sheet that it filed before a court in Birbhum, which is hearing the murder case.

Expressing his displeasure over the SIT's investigation, Justice Tandon said the "court's confidence in the DGP is shattered" and directed the top cop to hand over all the relevant documents pertaining to the case to the CBI.

"The SIT investigation makes apparent the reluctance shown in taking the investigation in the right direction. There was constant omission of high-profile political accused in the investigation," said the court while delivering the judgment.

The court also said the SIT "totally neglected" Mondal's hate speech in which he asked his partymen to attack the houses of independent candidates and bomb the police if they created hurdles.

Taking cognizance Mondal's speech that was widely aired by TV channels, the court earlier rapped the DGP for not taking action against the Trinamool leader.

The CBI has been directed to update the court about its investigation from time to time.

Incidentally, the SIT was earlier constituted by the court itself after it found the investigation by the state police to be faulty.

Alleging that the state police tried to shield the perpetrators, Ghosh's son Hriday had approached the high court, seeking a CBI probe.

The Court verdict has been welcomed by the opposition.

State BJP president Rahul Sinha hoped the Mamata Banerjee-led government will now wake up after yet another jolt from the court.

"The court verdict is a welcome move, especially considering the way the chief minister and her entire police was shamelessly protecting and shielding Mondal. Hopefully this government will learn its lesson now after yet another jolt from the court," said Sinha.

CPI-M leader Shyamal Chakrabarty too welcomed the move and said the court has instilled confidence among the common people who have been losing their faith in the Mamata Banerjee administration.