The Calcutta High Court on Friday, 8 April, ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe into the murder of local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Bhadu Sheikh.
This comes after several petitions were moved in the court on Thursday, 9 April, to order a CBI investigation into the alleged murder of Sheikh.
Nine people were charred to death after violence broke out in the Birbhum district of West Bengal on 21 March in retaliation to the TMC leader's death.
The court had earlier asked the CBI to take over the case regarding massacre in Birbhum.
Two Incidents Interlinked: Court
The bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj said on Friday that the two incidents – Sheikh's death and the violence in Birbhum – were "inter-linked," LiveLaw reported.
The court also submitted that both investigations should be transferred to the CBI in the interest of justice, to ensure that all those people behind the violence in Birbhum are held responsible.
Appearing on behalf of the state government, Advocate General SN Mookherjee had, however, said that the West Bengal police were investigating the incident, and requested the court to let them continue with the probe.
The government had also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter
However, the court had observed that the SIT had not made any significant contributions while investigating the case, and thus asked the CBI to take over the probe.
Meanwhile, four people were arrested from Mumbai on Thursday in connection with the violence. The court had also taken the CBI's 22-page preliminary report regarding the investigation on record.
(With inputs from LiveLaw.)
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