Calcutta High Court's decision / CBI will investigate Birbhum violence, report will have to be submitted by April 7

The investigation of Birbhum violence has now been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Calcutta High Court, while hearing the matter on Friday, turned down the demand of the state government, in which it was asked to get the matter investigated by the Bengal Police. The court told the Advocate General (AG) of Bengal that we do not see any reason behind stopping our order. Therefore your demand is turned down. With this, the court ordered the CBI to submit the investigation report of the case to the court by April 7.

About a dozen huts were torched in Bogtui village in the early hours of Tuesday, allegedly in protest against the killing of a panchayat official of the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal's Birbhum district. Eight people including two children died in this. In the same case, a Public Interest Litigation was filed seeking an inquiry from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Apart from this, the court had also taken cognizance of the matter. On Thursday, the court reserved the decision after hearing in this case.

Bengal government was opposing the demand for investigation by central agencies

CM Mamata Banerjee's government has opposed the request for a CBI or NIA probe, saying a Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the West Bengal government is investigating. He should be given time. However, after hearing all the sides for two days, a division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice R Bhardwaj said it would pass the order after considering the arguments. Additional Solicitor General YJ Dastur said that the CBI or the NIA are ready to initiate investigation if the High Court passes an order to this effect.

The Advocate General of Bengal opposed the petitioners' request to transfer the matter to CBI or NIA and cited several earlier judgments of various courts to support his argument. Mukherjee said as per the order of the bench on Wednesday, 31 CCTV cameras have been installed at the crime scene. The petitioners sought a probe by an agency other than the one controlled by the state government, alleging that there is a possibility of tampering of evidence if CBI or NIA is not ordered to investigate immediately.