Birbhum killings: CBI questions suspended cop

On March 25, the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI probe into the Bogtui killings. Earlier, the state government had set up a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the incident.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers with CFSL team investigate near the house where eight people were burnt alive, at Bogtui village in Birbhum district of West Bengal, Saturday (PTI/File)

The CBI on Tuesday questioned Rampurhat police station’s now suspended inspector in-charge, or circle inspector, Tridip Pramanik for nearly seven hours in connection with the violence in Birbhum district’s Bogtui village in which at least eight persons were charred to death after their houses were set on fire on March 22 night.

Sources said the investigators wanted to know at what time the police received information about the incident for the first time and what action was taken thereafter. They questioned him whether he received any instructions or phone calls from anyone that night, it is learnt.

The agency officials also recorded the statement of Mihir Lal Sheikh, who lost his mother, wife and daughters to the violence, for the second consecutive day. Sheklal Sheikh, whose wife Najma Bibi (35) succumbed to the burns on Monday, was also called by the CBI at their camp office in Rampurhat to record his statement. Najma was admitted to the Rampurhat hospital with 65% burns. Now, the death toll in the violence in retaliation to the murder of a deputy pradhan owing allegiance to the state’s ruling Trinamool has reached nine.

On March 25, the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI probe into the Bogtui killings. Earlier, the state government had set up a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the incident.

The SIT had arrested 22 people, including TMC’s block president Anarul Hossain. Meanwhile, a team of the district administration visited Bogtui on Tuesday and met the students appearing in the board examination as their studies were hampered due to violence. The officials assured to extend all kind of help to them.

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