Kolkata: A single- judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday gave specific instructions to the state police for conducting a probe into the alleged suicide of Lalan Sheikh, the prime accused in the Bogtui carnage that killed nine people in March last year, at the camp office of CBI at Rampurhat in Birbhum district where he mysteriously died on December 12 last year.
The single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta, while allowing the state police to conduct a probe against the seven accused CBI officers in the matter, set certain restrictions on the probe procedure.
Justice Sengupta asked the state police to form a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the matter, which will be headed by Pranab Kumar, an Inspector General (IG)- rank IPS officer of West Bengal cadre. Justice Sengupta gave Kumar the liberty to select the other members of the SIT.
As per the directive of the court, the process of formation of the SIT will have to be completed within a week. The SIT will not be able to present the final report of investigation without the permission of the Calcutta High Court. The SIT will also not have to submit the report to anywhere else, including the state government, except the lower court where the matter will be heard.
The single-judge bench also said that the shield against any cohesive action, including arrest, against the seven accused CBI officers will continue.
The bench also directed the CBI to extend full cooperation to the members of the SIT. The entire investigation process will be court monitored.
Lalan Sheikh was arrested in December last year by the CBI after an eight-month hunt since the Bogtui massacre in Birbhum district in March 2022.
The Bogtui massacre is perceived as a revenge killing over the murder of local Trinamool Congress leader, Vadu Sheikh. Lalan Sheikh was the right-hand man of Vadu Sheikh and soon after the latter’s murder, he assembled his associates and launched a late-night attack on the Bogtui village with bombs and inflammable items.
(IANS)
