SC allows Bengal’s appeal against CBI probe

The Supreme Court said the West Bengal government has made out a case for entertaining its appeal challenging a Calcutta high court order directing CBI and SIT probe into post-poll violence in May after Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, romped home in the assembly elections with a massive mandate. A bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Aniruddha Bose issued notices to a bunch of petitioners who had filed PILs in the HC seeking independent investigation into the violence. The HC had initially ordered an inquiry by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which had set up a seven-member committee for the purpose. Based on the NHRC’s report, the HC on August 19 had ordered CBI probe into cases involving murder and a probe by SIT headed by Justice Manjula Chellur into other incidents of violence and arson after TMC emerged clear winner on May 2.