3 min readKolkataApr 8, 2022 05:50 AM IST
First published on: Apr 7, 2022 at 05:55 PM IST
The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested four persons from Mumbai in connection with the Rampurhat killings in Bengal’s Birbhum last month.
“Four persons have been arrested from Mumbai in connection with the case,” the CBI confirmed on Thursday.
This is the first arrest made by the CBI since it took over the case. The accused persons will be brought to Kolkata on transit remand. Sources in the investigative agency said those arrested are Bappa Sheikh, Sabu Sheikh and two others. They were allegedly present at the spot on the night of the incident, in which several houses were set on fire, resulting in nine deaths.
The CBI tracked the mobile phone tower locations of the accused and nabbed them. Sources said they had escaped to Mumbai on March 22, the day after the killings.
The CBI Thursday also submitted a primary investigation report in the case to the Calcutta High Court in a sealed envelope. According to sources, the agency has mentioned “destruction of evidences” before the division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj.
During the hearing today, the matter to hand over the murder case of TMC deputy chief pradhan Bhadu Sheikh to the CBI also came up. The Bengal government argued that the state police is investigating that murder and there is no need for the CBI to step in.
It was Bhadu Sheikh’s killing in Rampurhat in March that sparked off a chain of events that led to at least eight houses in the area being set on fire, leading to the death of nine people.
“Last Monday through an application, I had prayed before the honarable 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 if the CBI investigates both the incidents, it will be easier for the agency too. We believe when the two incidents are investigated by an independent agency, only then there is a possibility of impartial probe,” said the plaintiff’s lawyer Kaustav Bagchi. The court has reserved its judgement.
The Calcutta High Court had on March 25 ordered CBI probe into the Rampurhat massacre. The state government had earlier set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the incident. The SIT was asked to hand over the case papers and those it had arrested to the CBI. The SIT had arrested 22 people, including TMC’s Block President Anarul Hossain.
Forensic experts in Birbhum's Bogtui village to collect samples. (Express file photo by Partha Paul) 
Share
