The Calcutta High Court Friday handed over the investigation into the murder of the deputy gram pradhan and Trinamool Congress politician Bhadu Sheikh, which allegedly sparked retaliatory violence and eight other killings in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The court observed that the two incidents — the murder of the TMC leader and the Birbhum violence that led to the deaths of at least nine — are interlinked.
“Both the incidents took place within a gap of about 2 hours. Material placed on record prima facie suggests close relationship and linkage between the two incidents. The incidents are alleged to be result of political rivalry. The allegation of the applicants that both incidents form part of the common conspiracy and continuous cause of action cannot be ignored,” the court opined.
“The CBI is directed to investigate the murder case of Bhadu Sheikh along with the investigation in the case of Bogtui house-burning and murders. The CBI is directed to file a further report of investigation in both the cases on the next date of hearing,” ordered the court.
The Court had earlier transferred to the CBI the probe into the incident of violence in Birbhum.
On Thursday, the CBI had submitted a progress report on their probe in the March 21 violence case under a sealed cover before the division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj. The High Court, however, had reserved its order on whether the CBI should also probe Sheikh’s murder.
The CBI was ordered to submit a further status report pertaining to both the investigations on the next date of hearing which is slated to take place on 2 May.
