HC: CBI, SIT to probe post-poll violence in Bengal
THE HIGH COURT ALSO DIRECTED THE MAMATA BANERJEE GOVERNMENT TO PAY COMPENSATION TO THE VICTIMS
KOLKATA: The Calcutta high court on Thursday ordered separate probes by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police into alleged post-poll violence in West Bengal this year.
A five-judge bench headed by acting chief justice Rajesh Bindal said CBI will probe the serious allegations of rape and murder and a three-member SIT those of arson and loot, under the court’s supervision.
“All the cases where, as per the report of the committee, the allegations are about murder and crime against women regarding rape and attempt to rape, shall be transferred to CBI for investigation. It is made clear that it shall be a court-monitored investigation,” the order stated.
The investigation of SIT, comprising three senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers Soumen Mitra (commissioner of Kolkata Police), Suman Bala Sahoo (director general-communication) and Ranveer Kumar (additional director general-administration) will also be monitored by the court and overseen by a retired judge of the Supreme Court.
The high court also directed the Mamata Banerjee government to pay compensation to the victims of violence directly into their bank accounts after due verification.
The state has said it will appeal the verdict.
“I don’t see it as a setback. It is a judgment passed. If the litigant, which in this case is the state, finds that the verdict is not in its interest or beyond law, we have the right to challenge. We are waiting for the order. We will
Punjab. The 2018 plea was filed for transfer of FIRs, which have been registered against him, to the CBI.
In March this year, the court had sought details of FIRs in the cases in which Saini’s involvement is being probed and further ordered that if the former DGP was to be arrested in a criminal case pertaining to his service period, he be given an advance notice of seven days.
Due to pandemic, the case could not be taken up and was listed for hearing in November.
As the hearing began in the morning, the Punjab government lawyers sought time from the court to respond to the plea for preponing of hearing in the 2018 plea.
However, the court did not agree. It noted that preponement plea was filed on August 18 and the same evening Saini was arrested. “.. it is expected that parties will maintain status quo and will not disturb the same whether the case be on criminal side or civil side without approaching the court for appropriate directions,” the bench said while expressing its displeasure over vigilance bureau action.
The observation came in view of the fact that the case could not be taken up due to pandemic and that there was a general order from chief justice extending status quo during this period in all matters.
The vigilance took Saini to Mohali court around 12.30 pm. However, when the message was received about the HC order, the hearing was deferred till 4 pm. Saini was in the court till the filing of the report as the detailed order from the HC was awaited.
The HC also took up another plea filed on Thursday by Saini’s wife, alleging illegal detention by the vigilance bureau. It was taken up in the morning by the bench of justice Vikas Bahl and ordered listing before justice Arun Kumar Tyagi.