Birbhum killings direct fallout of TMC leader’s murder: CBI report

New Delhi, April 8

After handing over the case of the Birbhum massacre in West Bengal to the CBI, the Calcutta High Court on Friday asked the Central agency to also probe the murder of TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh since the incidents were “interlinked”.

Accepting the contention of a bunch of petitioners as well as the CBI, which submitted a preliminary report of its investigation into the massacre, a Division Bench today said the material placed before the court prima facie suggested that Bhadu Sheikh’s murder and the subsequent killing of nine persons by setting fire in their houses were inter-connected.

The CBI said the massacre was carried out in a “planned and organised manner” and was a result of “direct fallout” of the murder of Sheikh.

In the over 20-page report, the Central probe agency has also stated that the seven persons whose charred bodies were recovered from inside one of the burnt houses in Bogtui village, were “assaulted before being burnt alive”.

“After the killing of Sheikh, his close associates and members of his group went berserk, formed unlawful assembly, and in furtherance of their common object, started burning the houses and killing the family members of the rival group in a very planned and organised manner,” it said. The CBI’s findings said the rivalry was “long standing” between two groups — one of Bhadu Sheikh and another of Palash Sheikh and Sona Sheikh.

The CBI has been directed to file further report in both cases on the next date of hearing on May 2. — & PTI