Kolkata: A five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the post-poll violence in the state. The court also ordered the formation of a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe relatively lesser heinous crimes.
As per the court order, the CBI inquiry will be conducted into cases involving serious offences such as murder, rape and unnatural death. The other alleged offences will be probed by the SIT comprising three members, including Kolkata Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra and state Director General of Police Suman Bala Sahoo. The SIT investigation will be conducted under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge, the court said.
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The high court directed both the CBI and SIT to complete their investigations and submit reports within the next six weeks. The matter will then be heard by a separate bench of the Calcutta High Court. The court on Thursday also ordered the state government to immediately release compensation for the victims of post-poll violence.
Legal experts from the state feel that the Calcutta High Court order on Monday had virtually upheld the operation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
To recall, the NHRC constituted a team following an earlier order of the Calcutta High Court to look into the matter. The NHRC team visited different violence-ridden pockets in the state and submitted a report, which grossly went against the state government and the Trinamool Congress, the ruling party. The state government, however, termed the NHRC report 'biased'.
TMC spokesman Kunal Bose told ETV Bharat that he did not wish to make any comment as the ruling was given by the Calcutta High Court. "We will consult our legal experts and only then comment," he said.
