New Delhi: The CBI took over Friday the case of killing of eight people in Birbhum district of West Bengal. It came about hours after a Calcutta High Court order. The CBI case will be monitored by a Joint Director-level officer and supervised by a DIG/SP-ranked official, officials of the probe agency said. It means that the special investigation team (SIT) formed by the West Bengal government will have no role to play in the investigation.
The agency has already dispatched a team, along with eight experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) who have visited the site of crime, the CBI said.
Miscreants had March 21 set 10 houses on fire in Bogtui village in Birbhum district. In the carnage eight people including women and children were killed. The incident is a suspected fallout of the murder of a ruling Trinamool Congress leader and ‘upa-pradhan’ (deputy chief) of the local panchayat.
The Calcutta High Court directed Friday the CBI to take over the investigation into the case from the state police. It also asked the CBI to submit a progress report before it on the next date of hearing.
The court, which suo motu took up the case Wednesday, said that facts and circumstances demand that the investigation be handed over to the CBI in the interest of justice and also to instill confidence in the society.
“We direct the CBI to forthwith take over the investigation in the case and submit the progress report before us on the next date of hearing,” the court said in its order.
The matter will be heard again by the court April 7.
Noting that the incident had a ‘nationwide ramification’, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava asked the West Bengal government to extend full cooperation to the central agency.