Kolkata: The CBI formed four teams to probe the complaints of murder and rape collated by the NHRC-led committee, hours after the Calcutta high court five-judge bench handed over the cases to the central investigating agency.
The agency has also sought details of cases from West Bengal director general of police Virendra. Each team of seven members will be headed by joint director-level officers and include officers of deputy inspector-general and superintendent ranks.
According to sources, additional director Ajay Bhatnagar is likely to monitor the investigation’s progress. Sources said so far around 25 officers had been earmarked from Delhi, Lucknow, Chennai and from other states, and they would be divided into four teams.
Last week, the CBI wrote to the DGP seeking details of the cases. “The court has clearly demarcated the cases that CBI and SIT will investigate. We have asked the state government to provide us with details of the cases. FIR will be lodged following that,” a CBI official said.
The HC’s five-member division bench had earlier handed over to the CBI the investigation of murder, rape and atrocities against women allegedly committed during post-poll violence. In his observations, Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal said that in a number of cases, FIR was registered after the NHRC-led committee flagged off the incidents. There are FIRs registered against political workers and supporters of a party not in power.
According to CBI sources, the teams started work immediately after the probe was handed over. After they receive documents from the state government, the teams will head for Bengal where they will conduct an extensive investigation into the allegations.
Bengal government officials said they were examining the judgment but refused to specify whether they would challenge the HC order in the Supreme Court. “That is among the options being considered,” an official said. The acting CJ, in the lead judgment, recorded the NHRC report, the state government’s “exception” petition to the NHRC report, the procedure adopted by the NHRC and commented on the allegations of “bias” against the NHRC and EC’s responsibility.
The judges dealt separately with the allegations of bias against three members of the NHRC because of their affiliation to a political party. “The allegation against the committee is not material because this court has considered not only the report but other materials, including the arguments of the counsels,” Justice Mukerji observed in his judgment.