A day after the key accused in the Bogtui arson case was “found hanging” at a temporary office of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in West Bengal’s Birbhum, three officers of the investigative agency were booked by the West Bengal police, The Indian Express reported, citing sources.
The officers were booked based on the complaint by the victim’s wife. The case will be probed by the West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID).
Birbhum SP Nagendra Nath Tripathi told IE that a case was registered against the three CBI officials.
The prime accused Lalan Sheikh, who was arrested on December 4 from a hideout along the Bengal-Jharkhand border, was “found hanging” in the agency’s Rampurhat camp office in Birbhum on Monday, reported news agency PTI, citing CBI sources.
Although CBI officials claimed that he “died by suicide”, Sheikh’s wife Reshma Bibi lodged a written complaint at Rampurhat police station, alleging “custodial torture and murder”.
At least 10 people were killed in the arson and violence in Bogtui which took place after the murder of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Bhadu Sheikh on March 21. Following the orders of the Calcutta High Court, the CBI took over the case. In its chargesheet, the CBI alleged that the arson was a “direct fallout” of Sheikh’s killing, reported news agency PTI.
Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding a judicial inquiry into Lalan Sheikh’s death was filed before a division bench of Calcutta High Court, which has been admitted, advocate Badrul Karim said, IE reported.
Following Sheikh’s death, a large number of locals protested outside the Rampurhat office of the CBI, with some even trying to enter the premises. However, their attempts were foiled by the police. The protesters also raised slogans against the CBI.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, too, condemned Sheikh’s death, and said that a case has been registered based on the complaint which was filed by his wife.
“If CBI is so smart how he hanged himself in their custody? We will raise the issue. A case has already been registered based on the complaint filed by his (victim’s) wife,” the CM was quoted saying at a press conference in Meghalaya’s Shillong.