CBI registers 9 cases as part of Bengal poll violence investigation
KOLKATA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday registered nine cases related to the post-poll violence in West Bengal, officials familiar with the developments said.
Four special teams of the central agency, which were in the state between Monday and Thursday following directions from the Calcutta high court to probe cases of murder, attempt to murder and rape, also visited the affected families in Kolkata and North 24 Parganas to record their statements, they added. Cases were registered in Purulia, Bankura and Nadia districts as well, officials added.
While one team visited the kin of Abhijit Sarkar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker who was allegedly killed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers in Kolkata’s Narkeldanga area on May 2, another met the family of Jaiprakash Yadav, a BJP worker who died in a bomb attack by motorcycle-borne assailants at Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas district on June 6.
The officials recorded the statement of Biswajit Sarkar, Abhijit’s brother, who was among several petitioners to move the Supreme Court for a probe into the alleged violence. The apex court allowed the high court to look into the matter.
Abhijit was the only BJP worker to have been killed in the state capital. At least seven persons have been arrested so far.
BJP Lok Sabha MP from Barrackpore seat, Arjun Singh, alleged that Yadav was murdered as he worked to ensure the victory of Singh’s son, Pawan, from the Bhatpara assembly seat in the elections. “The attack was carried out by goons backed by TMC,” said Arjun Singh.
According to officials cited above, the FIRs were registered under various sections of the IPC in Purulia, Nadia and Bankura districts as well by the visiting teams.
The Central Reserve Police Force has been asked to provide security to the members of the CBI visiting Bengal, a CBI official said on condition of anonymity.
Soon after the TMC swept the assembly elections on May 2, the BJP made allegations of widespread post-poll violence from across the state.
Following directions from the high court on June 18, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) carried out an investigation and submitted its final report on July 13, recommending a CBI probe and trials outside the state.
After studying the NHRC’s final report, the high court last week ordered separate probes by the CBI and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police into the alleged violence.
A five-judge bench headed by acting chief justice Rajesh Bindal said the 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.
The state government has maintained that the NHRC report was biased and prepared with a political motive.