HC not happy with probe into Birbhum panchayat member murder

The Calcutta High Court today expressed displeasure at the progress of investigation into the murder of an independent panchayat member in which some Birbhum district Trinamool Congress leaders are accused, and said that an extraordinary situation had cropped up to think about a CBI probe into the issue.
Observing that the West Bengal Police has failed to live up to the faith the court reposed on it, Justice Dipankar Dutta directed that if there was no further progress in the investigation by Monday, the court then would think about a CBI investigation into the murder.
The Director General of state police did not have time to look into the video footage about the murder and initial investigation into it, which amounted to criminal contempt, the court felt.

Justice Dutta observed that it had directed the DGP on February 14 to look into the footage, but this was not done in violation of the directive.
The court also noted that no step had been taken by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in ascertaining the speeches of Birbhum Trinamool Congress district president Anubrata Mondal and Birbhum Zilla Parishad sabhadhipati Bikash Roychowdhury.
The court said that as such an extraordinary situation had arisen to think about a CBI investigation.

Appearing for the state, government pleader Ashok Banerjee submitted that with the impending general elections, the DGP was pre-occupied in connection with law and order and other related issues.

He prayed for time till next Monday from the court, which was granted by Justice Dutta.
The high court had on December 23 directed the CID to investigate murder charges against Birbhum district Trinamool Congress president Anubrata Mondal and 40 others, accused in the killing of Sagar Ghosh after the panchayat polls last year.
Justice Dutta had earlier also expressed displeasure at shoddy investigation by CID officers in the murder of Ghosh at Parui in Birbhum district and had asked the DGP to form a SIT to investigate the case.
As such, a four-member SIT headed by ADG CID Ramphal Pawar was formed to investigate case.

Sagar Ghosh was shot on July 21 last year at his home and succumbed to his injuries at a hospital two days later.
Ghosh had won a seat in the panchayat polls as an independent after being denied ticket by the Trinamool Congress.