Parui murder case: No evidence found against Anubrata yet

The SIT probing the murder of an independent panchayat member at Parui in Birbhum district on Tuesday told the Calcutta HC that it has not found any evidence yet to arrest TMC district president Anubrata Mondal, one of the accused.

The Special Investigating Team probing the murder of an independent panchayat member at Parui in Birbhum district on Tuesday told the Calcutta High Court that it has not found any evidence yet to arrest Trinamool Congress district president Anubrata Mondal, one of the accused.

Appearing before justice Harish Tandon, government counsel Manjit Singh submitted that the murder of Sagar Ghosh last year appeared to be a case of political rivalry.

Singh submitted that the SIT was yet to find any evidence to co-relate alleged inflammatory statements made by Anubrata Mondal a few days before the murder and the killing itself.

He further stated that there was no need to hold a CBI probe as the Special Investigating Team (SIT) was making good progress and that chargesheet has already been submitted before the lower court.

Anubrata Mandal is one of the 41 accused in the murder of Sagar Ghosh, who won the panchayat elections as an independent candidate, after allegedly being denied ticket by Trinamool Congress, in July 2013 at Parui in Birbhum district.

Justice Tandon directed the state government to file an affidavit on an application for the investigation to be carried out by a neutral agency.

The court also directed applicant Shibani Ghosh, daughter in-law of the slain Sagar Ghosh, to file an affidavit in reply within the next three days.

The matter would be taken up for hearing again on August 19.