Birbhum violence: Calcutta high court seeks SIT report by today – Times of India

KOLKATA: Calcutta high court on Wednesday took suo motu cognizance of the Bogtui village massacre in Birbhum’s Rampurhat that left eight persons dead. The division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj directed the special investigation team to produce the case diary and other relevant documents before it by 2pm on Thursday.
The HC ordered the state to immediately install CCTV cameras in the area under the supervision of the East Burdwan district judge. It also directed Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Delhi, to visit the crime scene and collect evidence without delay.
CJ Shrivastava at the very outset observed that the suo motu petition was admitted to ensure a fair investigation to punish those responsible for the crime. The court declined the prayer by seven petitioners seeking a CBI probe into the incident, on the grounds that an opportunity should first be given to the SIT.
The court also instructed the director general and the inspector general of police to provide security to vulnerable witnesses. “The DG and IG of police in consultation with the district judge of Purba Burdwan will ensure that witnesses are adequately protected and not threatened or influenced by anyone,” it said.
The bench overruled objections from petitioners against two SIT members. Petitioners pointed out that Gyanwant Singh was an accused in the Rizwanur Rehman death case in 2007, and was kept out of important postings from 2007 to 2014 till he was brought back as ADG (CID). They also cited that ADG (West) Sanjay Singh had been suspended by the EC from election duty during the 2021 assembly polls.
The bench turned to additional solicitor general Y J Dastoor after petitioners pleaded for a forensic examination by CFSL, Delhi. The ASG conveyed that he could arrange for an examination by the team at any time. The HC’s directive to CFSL to collect evidence came even after advocate general S N Mookherjee submitted that a forensic team was already at the spot.
The advocate general welcomed the court directive, saying the state government, too, wanted the truth to come out. Mookherjee also submitted that the SIT had conducted autopsies of the victims. The HC directed that any po-stmortems in future should be done with videography.