Cal HC orders CBI probe into Birbhum killings

The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered a CBI investigation into Birbhum violence that claimed eight lives earlier this week.

The court directed an SIT formed by the West Bengal government to hand over case papers and accused persons arrested by it to the central probe agency.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a progress report by April 7, the next date of hearing of the matter.

The bench said that the CBI probe was being ordered in the interest of justice.

Eight people, including two children, were charred to death in Bogtui village of Bengal's Birbhum district in the suspected fallout of a TMC panchayat official's murder.

The bench had suo motu taken up the case of the gruesome incident.

A set of PILs seeking a CBI or NIA probe into the incident was also taken up for hearing by the court along with the suo motu petition.