At least 10 people were killed in the violence in West Bengal's Birbhum
The Bengal Police have registered a murder case against some officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation after the family of the main accused in the Bogtui murders case died in the agency's custody. The CBI had claimed that Lalon Sheikh -- arrested this month after evading the police for eight months -- has committed suicide. The issue is likely to spiral into a major political controversy.
The family filed a complaint with the police against some CBI officers on Tuesday, after which the case was initiated. The police have registered a First Information Report, starting a criminal case over the alleged suicide. Two senior officers of the CBI -- a DIG-rank and an SP officer -- and others have been booked under charges of murder.
Lalon Sheikh's family has alleged bribery and foul play in his death and blamed CBI officers. The agency will move the Calcutta High Court against the FIR. Yesterday, the Calcutta High Court had allowed a petition over the custodial death.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also questioned the role of the CBI. Asked for a comment on the custodial death, she had said, "I condemn the incident. If the CBI is so smart, why is he dead... The family has filed a complaint".
After the Bogtui murders, the Calcutta High Court had handed over the investigation to the CBI.
Lalon Shaikh -- arrested from Jharkhand earlier this month -- is believed to have led a crowd that set several homes on fire in Bogtui on March 21, resulting in the death of 10 people, mostly women and children.
He was produced before a court in Rampurhat on Sunday and sent to the CBI custody for six days. The agency said he was found hanging in its camp office at Rampurhat.
"It is too early to say anything. It is a case of unnatural death and the local police station will start an investigation. The procedure includes a magisterial inquest and a postmortem. There are NHRC and Supreme Court guidelines on unnatural custodial deaths and we will follow them," said Nagendra Tripathi, the Superintendent of Police, Birbhum.
Ten persons were killed in the Bogtui carnage where armed goons set fire to several homes after the murder of Trinamool's Bhadu Sheikh, the deputy chief of a gram panchayat, on March 21. The CBI has been investigating the Bogtui murders case and the murder of Bhadu Sheikh as well.
The agency has filed a 1,192-page chargesheet on the basis of eyewitness accounts, security camera footage and statements by two of the three women who died of burn injuries at Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital.
The chargesheet says Bhadu Sheikh's murder was the fallout of rivalry between him and his associates over dubious land deals, illegal businesses and share of extortion money.