SC to hear plea for CBI probe in post-poll violence in Bengal
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the status of the probe into alleged murders of two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in West Bengal as it agreed to hear a plea for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a special investigation team (SIT) into the post-poll violence in the state. .
The plea has also called for probing chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s role in the violence.
Separately, another petition was filed in the apex court that demanded imposition of President’s Rule in the state and formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the violence and killing of BJP workers.
THE PLEA HAS ALSO CALLED FOR PROBING CHIEF MINISTER MAMATA BANERJEE’S ROLE IN THE VIOLENCE
NEW DELHI : The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the status of the probe into alleged murders of two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in West Bengal as it agreed to hear a plea for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a special investigation team (SIT).
The widow and brother of the two have filed the plea while blaming the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers for the killings in the violence after the party swept back to power on May 2.
The plea has also called for probing chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s role in the violence. It has cited her alleged inciting remarks during election rallies, asking her party cadres to “take revenge” once the central forces leave after the elections. The plea has accused her of engineering and planning “these series of offences, giving specific instructions to her party workers and supporters”.
The BJP has blamed TMC for violence against its workers and supporters. The TMC has rejected the allegations with Banerjee saying the violence and clashes took place in areas where the BJP won the elections.
A bench of justices Vineet Saran and BR Gavai also issued notices to the Centre, National Human Rights Commission, National Commission of Scheduled Castes and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, seeking their replies within a week. The court will take up the matter next on May 25.
Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, who appeared for the petitioners, called it a “serious matter” and said Avijit Sarkar, 35, and Haran Adhikari, 42, were brutally killed for having supported a particular political outfit while the state administration and the police allegedly encouraged their killings.
He added the petitioners, Sarkar’s brother and Adhikari’s widow, were eyewitnesses to the murders and now feared for their own lives after “having experienced the state government’s complicity”.
“I am praying for an independent probe by the CBI, or this court may even monitor the investigations after setting up an SIT,” Jethmalani said.
He accused the state government of “total inaction” in preventing the murders and investigating them.
“Instead, the murders were encouraged by the state and the police stood silently while the supporters of the ruling party killed them.”
Jethmalani pleaded Sarkar’s body must be preserved and its post-mortem be done by an independent team of doctors. He added the autopsy should be video graphed to ensure the evidence is not destroyed.