The Calcutta High Court Thursday took on record the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)'s preliminary report on the violence in Birbhum district of West Bengal on March 21, which claimed the lives of at least nine people. Further, the High Court reserved its order on whether the central agency should also probe the murder of the deputy gram pradhan, which allegedly triggered the retaliatory violence. Sources told The Indian Express the CBI, in the report, mentioned that a large part of the evidence has been destroyed. Meanwhile, the court, which was hearing several petitions seeking a CBI probe into the death of deputy gram pradhan Badu Sheikh, reserved its order. The state government argued that the police were investigating the murder Sheikh, who was associated with the Trinamool Congress, and that there was no need for a CBI investigation into the matter. The plaintiff's lawyer Kaustav Bagchi, on the other hand, said, "Last Monday, through an application, I had prayed before the honourable judge to hand over both the investigations to the CBI. Today, after a prolonged hearing, we are hopeful that we have been able to convince the court that it would be better if the CBI investigates both the incidents - the murder of Sheikh and the fire that led to the deaths of five people. We also hope the truth will come out. We believe that only when the two incidents are investigated by an independent agency, there is a possibility of an impartial probe." "We will examine the report and upload the order to the server," Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava remarked, reported Live Law. The High Court on March 25 directed the CBI to take over the probe from a Special Investigation Team formed by the state government. The court initiated a suo motu case a day after the violence in Bogtui village. The court had called it an "undisputed shocking incident" that "has shaken the conscience of society". The court had directed the West Bengal government "to extend full cooperation to CBI in carrying out the further investigation". It ordered the SIT set up by the state to stop its probe and hand over not only "the case papers but also the accused and suspects who were arrested in the matter and in custody" to the central agency.
