Sitalkuchi firing: Statements of Cooch Behar's former SP contradicts forensic-ballistic findings

During the recent West Bengal assembly elections, central forces fired at Sitalkuchi in the Cooch Behar district, killing four persons. The state government had handed over the investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Sleuths have now found several discrepancies in the statements of the then Cooch Behar Superintendent of Police Debashis Dhar, and suspect him of destroying and tampering of crucial evidence.

Kolkata: During the recent West Bengal assembly elections, central forces fired at Sitalkuchi in the Cooch Behar district, killing four persons. The event led to strong bickering between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP. The state government had handed over the investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Sleuths have now found several discrepancies in the statements of the then Cooch Behar Superintendent of Police Debashis Dhar, and suspect him of destroying and tampering of crucial evidence.

According to CID sources, the statement was given by SP Debashis Dhar to CID sleuths totally contradicts the forensic and ballistic findings. For those discrepancies, the probe officials are quite tense on how to carry forward the lines of investigation.

"The former district police superintendent has been totally indifferent while facing the interrogation and hence statements were extremely frustrating. At the same time he is giving contradictory statements," said a CID sleuth on strict condition of anonymity. Dhar is currently under suspension.

Probe officials also said that from the integration it was evident that the former SP was trying to hide something and hence the possibilities of a bigger conspiracy cannot be ruled out. "A police officer of any rank has to follow some routine criminal manuals and policy manuals. The former SP seems to have followed none after the firing incident. Say, for example, there were two incidents of firing at Sitalkuchi on that day. The first was inside the polling booth and the second incident was outside the booth. In normal circumstances, two FIRs would have been filed since there were two incidents of firing. However, the former SP just filed one FIR on that day," the probe official said.

On this issue, Dhar explained that since both the allegations of firing incidents are against the central forces he thought that a single FIR would have sufficed.

"In order to progress with our probe, we need to interrogate some more officials present at the firing spot on that day," the probe official said. Those to be integrated again include IC of Mathabhanga Police station, Bisheshwar Roy, the head of the quick response team at Sitalkuchi on that day, Subrata Mondal and the erstwhile sector officer, Rafa Burman. Their statements are extremely crucial for the probe officials. However, it is yet to be decided when they will be summoned for questioning again.