CBI team to visit Bengal over post-poll violence
Agency writes to state DGP, seeking details of all cases of alleged murder and rape.
The CBI’S investigation has intensified in the cases of alleged violence after the elections in West Bengal. Sources told The Sunday Guardian that a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) team will be reaching Kolkata on Monday and visit West Bengal’s violence-affected area next week.
Meanwhile, the CBI wrote to the West Bengal Director General of police, seeking details of all cases of alleged murder and rape reported during post-poll violence in the state. Sources told The Sunday Guardian that CBI wanted to know all the information, as to how many arrests have been made; and how far the investigation of the case has progressed. The investigating agency also wanted to see a copy of the FIRS filed in connection with the violence. Are those who have been arrested on the basis of the allegations now free, or imprisoned?
According to sources, the letter has been sent to state police DGP Virendra and the CBI has sought details of such cases from the Director General of Police in line with a Calcutta High Court order that directed the agency to take over cases related to post-poll violence. CBI has constituted four Special Investigation Units to probe cases of alleged West Bengal post-poll violence. The SITS also comprise CBI officers from Lucknow, Patna, Delhi, and Dehradun. There will be eight officers in each of the four teams, and each team has one female officer of SP rank. According to sources, the report of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will be matched with the report of the police, for further confirmation. The NHRC report stated that at least 56 allegations of murder and rape. The CBI will look into whether any FIR was lodged at all in the light of that allegation, and what steps have been taken.
Meanwhile, two caveats were filed at the Supreme
Court a day after the Calcutta High Court ordered a courtmonitored CBI probe into the alleged incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal. The caveats, which were filed by advocates Anindya Sundar Das and Priyanka Tibrewal, said that if the Mamata Banerjee government moved the Supreme Court against the order of the Calcutta High Court, then the court should not pass the order without hearing her side. Anindya Sundar Das is one of the petitioners in the Calcutta High Court in this matter. On 19 August, the Calcutta High Court had ordered a probe by the CBI in all the alleged rape and murder cases that had taken place in West Bengal after the Assembly elections. The High Court also ordered to set up Special Investigation Team (SIT) for investigation and senior officers from West Bengal cadre will be a part of the team. The SIT will work under the supervision of a retired judge of the court. That report must also be submitted within six weeks. Even as the CBI has been given the task of investigation, the court will keep an eye on the whole matter. The High Court also said that financial compensation would be given to the victims. In that case, the money has to be paid directly to the bank accounts to avoid corruption and controversy.
The ruling Trinamool Congress is not happy at all that the investigation has been handed over to the CBI. But the BJP is seeing its victory. Dilip Ghosh said, “This time the victims will get justice. We hope the government will learn from this. We got what we wanted.”