Kolkata (TIP)- The Calcutta High Court on Friday, March 25,  ordered a CBI investigation into Birbhum violence that claimed eight lives earlier this week. The court directed an SIT formed by the West Bengal government to hand over case papers and accused persons arrested by it to the central probe agency.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a progress report by April 7, the next date of hearing of the matter. The bench said that the CBI probe was being ordered in the interest of justice.

Eight people, including two children, were charred to death in Bogtui village of Bengal’s Birbhum district in the suspected fallout of a TMC panachayat official’s murder.

The bench had suo motu taken up the case of the gruesome incident.

A set of PILs seeking CBI or NIA probe into the incident were also taken up for hearing by the court along with the suo motu petition.

On Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Bogtui village, where she ensured “speedy justice” to the victims and offered monetary compensation. However, Opposition leaders have accused the Bengal government of a ‘cover up’ and ‘fabrication’.

Congress leader Adhir Chowdhary, whose car was allegedly stopped more than once before reaching Bogtui, alleged that several bodies had disappeared from the site of violence. He said, “She (CM) alleged a big conspiracy behind this incident and that is why she has instructed the police to take strict action. The bodies of two children have gone missing. The CM is trying to suppress the facts.”

Meanwhile, after local residents complained to CM that local Trinamool Congress block president Anarul Hussain had hatched the conspiracy to set the houses ablaze, she ordered the DGP to arrest him. However, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari tweeted, “Can someone instruct an investigating agency to fabricate a case? Rather than directing the investigating agency to conduct a fair investigation and gather evidence that incriminates the real perpetrators, @MamataOfficial is pronouncing & dictating who are at fault. (sic)”.

‘Mamata govt fabricating case’: BJP

The BJP on Thursday slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal for allegedly “fabricating a case” over the Birbhum killings.

The statement came after the police arrested TMC’s Rampurhat block president Anarul Hossain in connection with the case at the instruction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.s