Kolkata: The CBI and a special investigation team (SIT) on Monday filed status reports on the ongoing probe into cases of post-poll violence before the Calcutta High Court. The reports were submitted in sealed covers before a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj. The bench fixed the matter for further hearing on November 8.
The Calcutta high court had, on August 19, ordered that probe into cases of alleged rape and murder in the aftermath of the assembly elections be held by the CBI, taking note of an NHRC report on cases of alleged murder and crimes against women, including rape and attempt to rape, in the aftermath of the assembly elections earlier this year.
Passing a judgement in the PILs seeking an independent probe into alleged violence following the assembly elections, the court had also ordered the constitution of an SIT, comprising three IPS officers of the West Bengal cadre, for monitoring the investigation in all other cases.
The bench, which has I P Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen and Subrata Talukdar as its other members, directed that both the investigations will be monitored by the high court and ordered the CBI and the SIT to submit their status reports before it.
The central agency has so far filed 34 FIRs, and made three arrests in connection with the post-poll violence cases - two in Nadia and one in North 24 Parganas.
The bench had also ordered the West Bengal government to pay compensation to the victims of crime as per the policy of the state, after due verification, and directed that the amount be directly transferred to their bank accounts.
It later appointed Justice (retd) Manjula Chellur, a former chief justice of Kerala High Court, Calcutta High Court and Bombay High Court, to "overview" the functioning of the SIT. The court had further directed that the matter would be placed before a division bench on October 4 for further hearing.
