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Bogtui massacre: Mamata Banerjee condemns CBI custodial death; murder case filed
Lalan Sheikh, prime accused in the Bogtui massacre in which ten people were burnt alive in West Bengal’s Birbhum district in March this year, was found dead in CBI custody on Monday evening
Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the death Bogtui massacre’s prime accused in the custody of central bureau of investigation (CBI).
She said her party will take up the issue even as state police began investigation in the case registered against some CBI officers on the complaint of the deceased’s wife.
“I condemn the incident. If CBI is so smart, why did he die? His (the victim’s) wife has lodged a FIR. We will also raise the issue,” Banerjee said while speaking to reporters in Shillong on Tuesday.
Lalan Sheikh, prime accused in the Bogtui massacre in which ten people were burnt alive in West Bengal’s Birbhum district in March this year, was found dead in CBI custody on Monday evening.
Also Read: Bogtui massacre: Main accused in killings found dead in custody
While the federal agency claimed that Sheikh died by suicide, the victim’s family alleged that he was beaten to death in the CBI custody.
“We have initiated a case under section 302 of the IPC on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim’s wife Samina Bibi. Magisterial inquest and post mortem has been completed,” said Nagendra Nath Tripathi, superintendent of police of Birbhum district.
The CBI have also sent a detailed report to its headquarters in the national Capital and the national human rights commission (NHRC).
Tension ran high on Tuesday when Sheikh’s family members and aides started protesting outside the agency’s camp office in Rampurhat from 10:30am. Sheikh was reportedly found hanging in the camp office.
“If my husband died by suicide, why was he naked? The CBI was looking for a hard drive of a computer. We told them that it was stolen. They said that if we give them ₹50 lakh, they will settle the matter. They also threatened to beat up my son,” alleged the victim’s wife while speaking to reporters in Birbhum.
The protestors tried to block a car in which CBI officials were taking another accused in the Bogtui massacre case to Rampurhat court.
Sheikh, who was absconding since March this year after the Bogtui massacre in which he allegedly played a key role, was arrested by the federal agency on December 4 from Jharkhand.
Ten people, including nine women, were burnt alive at Bogtui village on March 21 following the killing of a TMC panchayat leader Bhadu Sheikh in the village.
The CBI is probing both cases – the murder of Sheikh and the retaliatory massacre.
