The CBI has said the absence of Arindam Manna the Dum Dum GRP sub-inspector as a witness in the Rizwanur Rehman case will not affect its trial in court. Mannas body was found beside the railway tracks near Mankundu station in Hooghly last week. He was the second investigating officer in the Rehmans death case. A CBI source said: Mannas absence will not hamper the trial. He took over the case on 22 September 2007,a day after Rizwanurs body was found from the tracks and the CID took the case on 24 September. Manna only did some paper work and prepared the case dairy. He was not a vital part of the investigation, said the source,adding that as there was no FIR when he conducted the initial inquiry and the CBI lodged the first FIR after it took over the investigation,there is no reason to term Manna as the investigating officer. The source further said: As a witness,he had a small part to play in the court. All the documents can be substantiated by any other officer. The source,however,said if the CID probe reveals any connection of Mannas death with the Todis the case may be attached with the Rehman trial. If the CID finds any accused in the Rizwanur case is connected to Mannas death,the case will be attached with the Rehmans case, said the source. The Railway police,meanwhile,have initiated a departmental probe against the officer-in-Charge of GRP,Sreerampore Somnath Bhattacaharya,who had recovered Mannas body and sent it for postmortem to Sreerampur Walsh hospital. Manna bodys was strangely dubbed as unidentified,despite the recovery of his identity card from his person. A departmental inquiry has been initiated to probe if the GRP followed the due procedure in handling the case. We are trying to investigate why the autopsy of Mannas body was conducted in a hurry. IG,Rail A K Sarkar will conduct the inquiry and submit the report soon. If any lapse is found,action will be taken against the guilty, Additional Director General (Railways) Dilip Mitra said. A three-member team including a professor,an assistant professor and a laboratory demonstrator is likely to submit the autopsy report of Manna soon. We will submit the report within a few days, Suddhodhan Batabyal,head of the forensic medicine at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital,said.
