Insight Bureau: The Calcutta High Court Friday handed over the probe into the murder of the deputy gram pradhan Bhadu Sheikh to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The case allegedly sparked retaliatory violence in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
The Court opined that the two incidents — the murder of the panchayat leader associated with the TMC and the Birbhum violence that led to the deaths of at least nine — are interlinked. It directed the state police to hand over all the records of the investigation and the accused who have been arrested in connection with the murder case to the CBI.
“The CBI is directed to investigate the murder case of Bhadu Sheikh along with the investigation in the case of Bogtui house-burning and murders. The CBI is directed to file a further report of investigation in both the cases on the next date of hearing,” ordered the Court.
The High Court had on March 25 ordered the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the state government to probe the violence to hand over the investigation to the CBI. The Court further ordered the SIT to hand over all papers related to the case to the CBI and all the 22 suspects, including TMC block president Anarul Hossain, arrested by them.
Meanwhile, the four people arrested from Mumbai in connection with the Birbhum killings were brought back to Kolkata on Friday morning by the CBI. They were brought back to Kolkata on transit remand, granted by a Mumbai court till April 10.