Birbhum violence: CBI makes first arrests, four suspects held in Mumbai
The CBI took over the case following an order by the division bench of the Calcutta high court.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday apprehended four persons in connection with the killings that took place at a village in Rampurhat in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
According to a report by news agency PTI, the four accused had fled to Mumbai after the arson in Birbhum fearing arrest. The men were arrested from their hideout early on Thursday morning.
"Of the four arrested accused, two persons -- identified as Bappa and Shabu Sheikh -- were named in the FIR lodged in connection with the killings. We will produce them before a court in Mumbai and plead for a transit remand to West Bengal," an officer said.
On March 21, the murder of Bhadu Sheikh, a local TMC panchayat leader in Bogtui village had sparked violence, with several houses being set ablaze. At least nine lives were lost in the arson.
The CBI took over the case following an order by the division bench of the Calcutta high court.
The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has also constituted a fact-finding team of five members who recently submitted its report. The fact-finding committee attributed the violence to “state-sponsored extortion, goonda tax, cut-money, toll baazi”.
