Birbhum killings: High Court orders CBI to probe Bhadu Sheikh's murder

The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the murder of a local Trinamool Congress leader last month that had triggered a deadly violence in Rampurhat, causing the death of nine more people. The high court directed the West Bengal Police to hand over case details, all the records of its investigation and the accused who were arrested till date to the central agency immediately.

The murder of Bhadu Sheikh, Trinamool's deputy panchayat head, on March 21 had sparked retaliatory violence at the Bogtui village of Rampurhat in West Bengal's Birbhum district. The CBI is already investigating the death of nine people in the violent incidents.

The court said the two incidents - Sheikh's murder and the violence that followed - were interlinked. It asked the CBI to submit a report in the dual case on the next date of hearing. Sheikh's wife said she was happy that the CBI would now investigate her husband's murder case.


On Thursday, the CBI had submitted a preliminary report on its investigation into the violent incidents before a high court bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj.

"The report suggests that the incident is an outcome of the rivalry among the members of two groups in the village and that burning of the houses resulting in the death of eight persons was a retaliatory plan. In the applications filed before this court, it has been alleged that the unfortunate incident of setting ten houses on fire is not an isolated and independent incident, rather it is a counterblast to the murder of Bhadu Sk who was the upa-pradhan, allegedly belonging to the ruling party in the state. Both the incidents took place within a gap of about two hours," the court's order on Friday read.

"Material placed on record prima facie suggests a close relationship and linkage between the two incidents. The incidents are alleged to be a result of political rivalry," it said.