Gauhati HC asks CBI to probe land grab charge against fmr DGP

The Gauhati High Court has directed the CBI to probe an alleged case of land grabbing by former Director General of Police of Assam, Khagen Sarmah. Justice S K Medhi in an order on Thursday observed that the investigation into the matter was conducted in an "unfair, partial and unethical manner by the police" and as such the CBI is ordered to conduct the probe.

The order was given on two writ petitions filed by family members of late Magni Devi Jain. It was alleged in the petitions that a plot of land owned by Jain was sold in 2009 to Bandana Sarmah, wife of Khagen Sarma by fraudulent means by suspected land mafias.

The petitions also claimed that pressure had been exerted by the police to vacate the property. The high court directed the government advocates to transfer all required documents and records to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) within 15-days.

The court also directed the CBI to ensure proper investigation into the case as a senior police officer was involved and as such the police did not conduct "proper investigations".