Calcutta HC orders another CBI enquiry in Bengal

Kolkata, June 9 The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered CBI probe into a case of murder in which a Trinamool Congress leader in West Bengal's Howrah district was killed in 2011.

Trinamool leader Tapan Dutta was allegedly killed for voicing protest against the illegal filling up of water bodies near his residence at Bally in Howrah district.

Initially, the local police began probing the matter and later, the probe process was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal police.

However, Tapan Dutta's wife, Pratima Dutta and his daughter, Puja Dutta approached the Calcutta High Court demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) enquiry and alleged that the Trinamool Congress leader was killed by his own party men.

Finally, their 11-year long legal battle on this count came to an end as the Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha ordered a CBI probe into the matter.

Tapan Dutta had also floated "Save Howrah Waterbody Committee", which organised protests against any sort of illegal filling up of water bodies to make room for illegal real estate business.

He was shot dead near his residence on May 6, 2011 just days after the Trinamool Congress came to power in West Bengal ousting the 34-year-long Left Front rule.

The CID after taking over the case in August 2011 filed two chargesheets.

In the first chargesheet, it named a number of influential Trinamool Congress leaders and MLAs from Howrah district such as Arup Roy and Shashti Gayen. However, in September, the CID filed another chargesheet, deleting the names of these Trinamool Congress leaders.

These two contradictory chargesheets were also questioned by Justice Mantha while ordering a CBI probe into the matter.

Justice Mantha also observed that the probe agencies of the state have failed in effective investigation, and in arresting the culprits.

"There is thus, an urgent and immediate need to instil public faith in the investigation and trial, which proves sufficient incentive for a change in the investigation agency," Justice Mantha observed in his order.

Reacting to the High Court order, Pratima Dutta told the media that she is quite satisfied with the Calcutta High Court order.

"The order has come as a slap on the state government. I will wait for the CBI to complete the probe. But I want my husband's assassins to be behind the bars," she said.

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