As 8 Burnt Alive In Bengal, A Political Firestorm, High Court Steps In

New Delhi:

In a snowballing political controversy after eight people were burnt alive in Bengal’s Birbhum, in protests over the killing of a Trinamool Congress leader, the Calcutta High Court today stepped in and decided to take up the case.

The Calcutta High Court registered a case and a bench headed by the Chief Justice will take it up, news agency ANI reported.

The charred bodies were found on Tuesday morning at the village Rampurhat in Birbhum, hours after a mob set houses on fire in protests over the alleged murder of a Trinamool Congress leader, Bhadu Sheikh. Seven of one family were found dead in the burnt homes.

The BJP has raised its pitch against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, claiming it’s the latest in a long list of political killings in Bengal. The party has demanded Mamata Banerjee’s resignation and an investigation by central agencies. Nine BJP MPs from West Bengal met Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday and urged him to intervene.

Responding to attacks from the opposition, Ms Banerjee said that she is not justifying the killings, but such incidents are more frequent in UP, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.

“More than 200 BJP workers have been killed so far in the state. What is the government doing? This can’t be tolerated,” BJP MP Dilip Ghosh told ANI.

At least 20 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence, a senior police officer said on Wednesday. Eleven people were arrested the same day.

“With nine more arrests, the number of those who have been caught in the case rose to 20. We are grilling them to find out if there were more people involved in the incident. Some accused seem to have fled the village. We are trying to trace them,” news agency PTI quoted the officer. He also stated that forensic experts were examining the ravaged houses to get an idea about the “nature of the mishap”.

The killings were flagged by multiple BJP leaders, who said the entire region was in the grip of chaos and lawlessness.

Locket Chatterjee, BJP MP from Hooghly, has claimed that about 20 people have been killed in the arson, “but no one knows the actual number because no one is being allowed to enter in Birbhum.”

This morning, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar slammed Mamata Banerjee in a three-page letter for suggesting that there was a political conspiracy behind the violence. He also said the casualties may be higher.

Mamata Banerjee had urged the Governor “to refrain from making unwarranted statements and allow the administration to conduct an impartial probe” after he released a video yesterday saying human rights have been “decimated” and rule of law has “capsized” in the state. In an apparent swipe at the ruling party, he had said that the administration is “required to rise above partisan interests” which he claimed was “not being reflected in reality”. 

“Your statements have political overtones supporting other political parties to browbeat Bengal government,” Mamata Banerjee had said in response.

In a harshly worded letter today, Mr Dhankhar said that he “cannot ‘fiddle’ in Raj Bhawan and be a mute spectator”. 

“This is a ruse to shield the guilty of the ghastly crime. Already enough is in circulation about perpetrators of this savagery. Further, your assurance that “investigation will make all-out efforts to unearth all those who are behind the occurrence of the incident” is a far cry from reality,” the Governor said on Twitter, adding that “Politically caged” investigation in the state inspires no confidence.

WB Guv

Response to Hon’ble CM Mamata Banerjee on worst in recent memory grisly carnage at Rampurhat, where six women and two children were burnt alive.

This savagery is being justifiably compared by many to incidents in the state few years ago, while HCM was in opposition. pic.twitter.com/Z7vXiVdLFP

— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) March 23, 2022

The Centre has sought a report on the alleged political violence. The BJP is also sending a fact-finding team to probe the biggest instance of violence since Mamata Banerjee’s mega victory last year.

A Special Investigation Team has been formed to inquire into the incident. Bengal’s top cop Manoj Malaviya said, “We are investigating how the houses caught fire and whether the incident is related to the death of the panchayat deputy chief of neighbouring Barshal village”.

The Governor also criticised the choice of Gyanwant Singh as the head of the SIT, saying there can be “no credibility” for the SIT headed by him as he is “suffering judicial taint and condemnation”. 

“SIT is being taken as ‘cover-up operation’ to provide an escape route to rogue elements. “Men Friday” in probe are cut out for ‘hatchet work’ and not fair independent investigation,” he added.