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CBI makes sixth arrest in Birbhum killings case
With this, the CBI has made six arrests ever since it took over the probe into the case on the orders of Calcutta high court on March 25
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested an e-rickshaw driver who allegedly transported the petrol that was used in setting ablaze around 10 houses in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on March 21, leading to the death of nine people, an official said.
With this, the CBI has made six arrests ever since it took over the probe into the case on the orders of Calcutta high court on March 25.
Ritan Sheikh, who went missing after the incident, was arrested from his residence in Bogtui village, the official said.
“A close scrutiny of CCTV footage showed Ritan Sheikh driving to a petrol pump in Rampurhat town in his e-rickshaw to buy petrol. He carried back the petrol to Bogtui village in plastic cans,” the official said, seeking anonymity.
Bogtui village is located within 150 metres from Rampurhat town.
“Ritan was absconding since March 21. He returned to his home in Bogtui on Wednesday. A Rampurhat court has sent him to CBI custody for three days,” the official added.
Eight people, including two children, were charred to death when 10 houses were set ablaze in the village on March 21, in a suspected fallout of the murder of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) panchayat official Bhadu Sheikh which took place around an hour prior to the arson.
One of the four people, who sustained burn injuries and was undergoing treatment at a state-run hospital in Rampurhat, one died on March 28, taking the overall toll to nine.
The central agency has begun the process of identifying the deceased through a DNA test, the official cited above said. It has also seized several security camera recordings, including the one which shows Bhadu Sheikh’s murder. A diary, containing contacts of several people, was also recovered from an underground chamber at Bhadu Sheikh’s residence, the official added.
Besides making six arrests, the CBI has taken into custody 22 people who were earlier arrested by the state police.
The state government on March 22 had formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited the affected village on March 24 and ordered the arrest of all suspects, including her party colleagues.
Hours later, police arrested a local TMC leader, Anarul Hossain, as Banerjee alleged that he did not pay proper attention to the apprehension of locals about a possible disturbance in the area, leading to the carnage. Hossain, who is presently in CBI custody, alleged that he is being framed in the case.
The high court, however, on March 25 noted that the Birbhum massacre has “shaken the conscience of the society”, and directed the CBI to take over the matter. It also expressed dissatisfaction over the SIT’s progress on the case.
On April 8, the court directed the CBI to also take over the probe into Bhadu Sheikh’s murder.
On Wednesday, a Birbhum court refused to allow the CBI to take Hossain for a polygraph test after the TMC leader’s lawyer claimed that the probe agency had not explained to his client its implications and effects. The court noted that the consent of the accused is mandatory for the test.
Among those arrested are two minors who have been sent to a juvenile home, the official said. The CBI wants the two minors to undergo the polygraph test but did not receive permission from a special court of the juvenile justice board till Thursday evening, the official added.
