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On lookout for clues, CBI scans CCTV footage of Rampurhat hospital, police station
On the night of March 21, eight people were burnt to death at Rampurhat in West Bengal’s Birbhum district following the killing of a panchayat leader of the Trinamool Congress. Later one woman succumbed to her burn injuries taking the death toll to nine.
Sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigation are now scanning video footages of the close circuit television cameras, installed at multiple places including the Rampurhat government medical college and hospital, local police station and those installed near the crime spots at Bogtui village to get leads on the activities that followed before and after the killing of Trinamool Congress panchayat leader and the Birbhum massacre.
The CBI secured the footages of at least 32 CCTV cameras installed in the hospital, an official of the Rampurhat hospital confirmed.
“Earlier the Special Investigation Team too had taken the footages of some CCTV cameras. The number of cameras was, however, less,” said an official.
The probe agency has also recovered the footages of CCTV cameras installed at the Rampurhat police station and the spot in Bogtui village where TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh was killed.
The agency is now trying to secure the footage from the camera installed in the house of one Lalon Sheikh, located at a distance of few yards from the massacre spot.
On the night of March 21, eight people were burnt to death at Rampurhat in West Bengal’s Birbhum district following the killing of a panchayat leader of the Trinamool Congress. Later one woman succumbed to her burn injuries taking the death toll to nine.
“CCTV footages will provide vital clues to the sleuths. They would be able to identify the people who were present at the two crime spots that night and the people who visited the police stations and hospitals,” said Nazrul Islam, retired IPS officer.
Even though the CBI is probing the Rampurhat massacre on the orders of the Calcutta high court, the murder of TMC leader Sheikh is being probed by the Special Investigation Team set up by the state government.
At least six people have been arrested so far in connection with Sheikh’s murder. The police on Thursday recovered at least four firearms and 18 ammunitions based on the tip-off provided by the accused during interrogation.
CCTV footage shows that Sheikh was standing alone and talking over his mobile phone when four motorcycle-borne assailants hurled a bomb at him. Later he was also shot.
A CBI official said that they have seized the mobile phones of six people including Anarul Hossain, a TMC block leader who has been arrested in connection with the Birbhum massacre. They have been sent for forensic analysis.
Hossain was arrested on the orders of chief minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly ‘not sending police to the village even after being alerted by a victim’, while allegations have also surfaced that Hossain worked on the instructions of TMC district president Anubrata Mondol. Mondol however has refuted all the allegations.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has also named Mondol in its internal report to party president JP Nadda on Wednesday. The report stated that the involvement of Mondol in the massacre was certain.
The CBI has already questioned the former SDPO of Rampurhat and inspector-in-charge of Rampurhat police station, on Thursday a sub-inspector and an assistant sub-inspector were also questioned. The officer in charge of the local fire brigade station and the duty officer were also questioned during the day.
