The three-member bench hearing the petition was headed by Justice AK Sikri (File)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday made a strong observation, saying "much is happening in West Bengal". The court's remark came while hearing a petition filed by the BJP, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the murders of BJP workers in the state.
The BJP's lawyer Gaurav Bhatia, who wanted a CBI probe into the killings of BJP workers, alleged before the bench that Trinamool workers were threatening family members of the victims. He also demanded compensation for the families of the three murdered workers--Shaktipad Sarkar, Trilochan Mahato and Dulal Kumar.
The three-member bench hearing the petition was headed by Justice AK Sikri, who made the observation.
"Much is happening in the CBI also," Kapil Sibal, who was representing the West Bengal government, quipped.
In reply, Justice Sikri said," That's why I said also."
Mr Sibal told the Supreme Court that in the three cases, one was found to be a suicide and a closure report has been filed. In the other two cases, charges have been filed, adding there was no need for a CBI probe.
The court also asked Mr Bhatia, also a BJP leader, whether the CBI could probe cases in West Bengal, considering that the state government had withdrawn consent to the central probe agency's jurisdiction within its territory like the Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh governments.
The court posted the matter for further hearing on February 21.
Shaktipada Sarkar, a BJP block president in the Mandirbazar-Dhanurhat area, was hacked to death when he was returning home in South 24 Parganas district on July 28 last year.
The body of 32-year-old Dulal Kumar, a BJP worker, was found hanging from an electric pole in Purulia district's Balarampur on June 2 last year.
On May 30 last year, the body of 18-year-old Trilochan Mahato, also a BJP worker from Balarampur, was found hanging from a tree.
With inputs from PTI