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arrested. All eight of them, including two children, were charred to death as nearly a dozen houses were set ablaze with petrol bombs in Bogtui village in the early hours of Tuesday.
Eleven people were arrested the same day for their involvement in the incident.
A senior police officer told news agency PTI that forensic experts were examining the ravaged houses to get an idea about the “nature of the mishap”. The West Bengal government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Additional Director General (CID) Gyanwant Singh, to probe the incident.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a detailed report on the incident from the state government.
Earlier in the day, the Calcutta High Court directed CFSL Delhi to immediately collect necessary materials for forensic examination at Bogtui village in Bengal’s Birbhum district, where at least eight people were charred to death in the suspected fallout of a TMC panchayat official’s murder. The court asked the state government to file a report in the case before it by 2 pm on Thursday, when the matter will be taken up for hearing again.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava, taking up a suo motu petition and a set of PILs, ordered that CCTVs be installed at the crime scene in the presence of district judge, Purba Bardhaman, and recordings be done until further orders. The bench, also comprising justice R Bharadwaj, directed a team of Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Delhi to visit the place of incident and collect samples for examination without any delay.
It asked the DGP to ensure safety of witnesses, including that of a minor boy injured in the arson, in consultation with the district judge, Purba Bardhaman. The court observed that suo motu petition has been registered for fair investigation in the case.
The petitioners in the PILs have prayed for a probe by the CBI or by any other agency which is not controlled by the state. Advocate general representing the government opposed the prayer, stating an SIT was probing the matter and that there was no need to transfer the case to any other agency.
(with inputs from agencies)
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