West Bengal: 4 CBI teams to probe post- poll violence cases

The CBI has formed four teams to investigate cases of rape, murder and crime against women during post-poll violence in West Bengal. While each team will be headed by a joint director level officer, an additional director rank official will monitor the overall probe. Each team will have seven members, including a deputy inspector general and three superintendents of police. The move comes after the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI inquiry into killings, rape and crime against women after results of West Bengal assembly elections were declared.
A five-judge bench on Thursday pronounced its verdict on a batch of PILs seeking an independent probe into the incidents of violence.Calcutta High Court also ordered the formation of an SIT to investigate all other cases. The high court will monitor the investigations by both the CBI and the SIT. The court has asked the two agencies to submit status reports to it within six weeks. High court said the working of the SIT will be overseen by a retired Supreme Court judge. The bench said heinous crimes such as murder and rape deserve to be investigated by an independent agency, which in the circumstances can only be the CBI. The high court said the state failed to register FIRs even in some cases of alleged murder.

The SIT will include Suman Bala Sahoo, Soumen Mitra and Ranveer Kumar, all IPS officers of the West Bengal cadre. The bench will monitor the investigations by both the CBI and the SIT. The court has asked the two agencies to submit status reports to it within six weeks. It said the working of the SIT will be overseen by a retired Supreme Court judge, for which a separate order will be passed after obtaining his or her consent.