This Article is From Aug 19, 2021

To Probe Bengal's Post-Poll Violence, Central Agency Forms 4 Special Teams

The Calcutta High Court had ordered a CBI probe into "heinous crimes of murder and rape". It also said a Special Investigation Team should probe the other allegations of violence after the results of the assembly election

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The Calcutta High Court has asked for CBI probe into Bengal's post-poll violence.

New Delhi:

Four Special Investigation Units have been formed by the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the post-poll violence cases in Bengal following this morning's orders by the Calcutta High Court. Each unit will be headed by a Joint Director and altogether, 25 officers will be on the job, sources told NDTV.

The court had ordered a CBI probe into "heinous crimes of murder and rape". It also said a Special Investigation Team should probe the other allegations of violence after the results of the assembly election, in which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had a landslide victory in face of the BJP's mammoth election machine.

Accusing the state police of bias in favour of the ruling party, the court said they either failed to file First Information Reports in cases of serious crimes or registered FIRs only for minor offences in cases of serious crimes.

"Heinous crimes of murder and rape deserve to be investigated by an independent agency," the court said, handing the case to the CBI in an order that has upset the Trinamool Congress.

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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee -- one of the strongest critics of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- had been unsparing in her comments about the central agency, calling a tool of the government to get even with political opponents.

Today, the Trinamool said the order is an infringement on the rights of the state and the state government is likely to go to the Supreme Court on the issue.

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Earlier this week, the Madras High Court said the CBI should be an autonomous body reporting to parliament and gave a 12-point order detailing how this can be achieved.

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