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Bengal challenges HC order for CBI probe into Congress councillor’s murder
The West Bengal government on Thursday challenged the Calcutta high court’s order for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the March 13 murder of Congress councillor Tapan Kandu in Purulia district.
The West Bengal government on Thursday challenged the Calcutta high court’s order for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the March 13 murder of Congress councillor Tapan Kandu in Purulia district.
The state government moved a division bench of chief justice Prakash Shrivastava and justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj seeking an early hearing into the matter.
The chief justice asked the counsel for the state to submit his plea for the court’s consideration while lawyers who sought the CBI probe argued that the inspector-in-charge of Jhalda police station was being protected by the state.
Kandu was shot dead by unidentified assailants on March 13. The same day, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor was also killed in North 24 Parganas district.
Kandu’s killing came days after elections to the Jhalda municipality. The TMC and Congress had won five seats each in the February 27 elections with Independent candidates bagging the two remaining seats. One of them later joined the TMC, which formed the new civic board on Tuesday amid a strong agitation by Congress workers.
Five personnel of the Purulia district police were confined to their barracks on March 20 following charges of dereliction of duty during Kandu’s murder on a public road.
Jhalda police have so far arrested four people in connection with Kandu’s killing, including his elder brother Naren and nephew Tapas. Among others arrested are Jhalda-based businessman Asif Khan and Kalebir Singh, who was arrested from Bokaro in Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, family members of Niranjan Baishnab, an eyewitness to Kandu’s killing who was found dead in his home on Wednesday, filed a police complaint on Thursday at the Jhalda police station.
An old friend of Kandu, Niranjan is suspected to have died by suicide. A hand-written note found from his room stated that he could not take the pressure of being repeatedly summoned and questioned by the police.
In his complaint, Nepal Baishnab, Niranjan’s brother, alleged that Niranjan was being pressured by the police to make a statement.
Kandu’s widow, Purnima, who is also a Congress councillor, alleged that the state is trying to stop the CBI probe because TMC leaders and the police were involved in the murder.
“The government welcomed CBI probe into the massacre in Birbhum district but does not want the agency to investigate my husband’s murder. This proves that the TMC and the police are involved,” she said, referring to the March 21 arson at Bogtui village that left nine dead.
A CBI team visited Jhalda and talked to her for more than two hours on Thursday. The team also took into its possession the first information report filed by the local police.
While ordering the CBI probe on April 4, the single bench of justice Rajasekhar Mantha made strong observations against the Purulia police that had stated on April 3 that a sum of ₹7 lakh was given to those who shot Kandu. They were arrested the same day.
Purulia district superintendent of police S Selvamurugan claimed that the murder was the fallout of an old family dispute and had nothing to do with politics.
Naren Kandu’s son, Dipak, who contested the civic polls on a TMC ticket against his uncle and lost, was the first person to be arrested on March 15. The Congress and Tapan Kandu’s family then demanded a court-monitored CBI probe into the matter.
Purnima, who moved the petition, alleged that the inspector-in-charge of Jhalda police station, Sanjib Ghosh, had been pressuring her husband to join the TMC since the verdict to the civic polls led to a hung board at Jhalda municipality.
The SP said on April 3 that Ghosh’s involvement in the case could not be established.
“No involvement of the IC of Jhalda was found during investigation,” said Selvamurugan, adding that an audio clip, purportedly containing a telephonic conversation between Sanjib Ghosh and a relative of the victim, would be examined later. The clip was submitted before the court by the petitioner. Justice Mantha said on April 4 that both cellphones should have been seized and examined. He also observed that the murder was linked to politics and asked why the allegations against Sanjib Ghosh were not probed.
