The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to summon Birbhum superintendent of police Nagendra Nath Tripathi in the Rampurhat carnage case after several questions have been raised over the role of the police in containing the violence in which nine people have been killed, including women and children.
Unidentified men had on March 21 set around five houses on fire in the Rampurhat village. The Calcutta High Court had on March 25 handed over the investigation into the Birbhum killings to the CBI and set a deadline of April 7 to submit its progress report.
The CBI had also questioned the Inspector in charge of Rampurhat police station, Tridip Pramanik, and Sub-Divisional Police Officer of the area, Sayan Ahmed, who are now suspended.
The role of West Bengal Police is under suspicion after it could not stop the violence when the distance between the place of crime and Rampurhat was around 3 km.
According to CBI sources, other senior police officials will also be interrogated for their role in the incident. But the focus of the investigation primarily is on how the crime took place and who are the culprits involved.
According to a source, the prima facie investigation of the CBI has come up with certain findings. Firstly, more than 40 people were involved in the Birbhum violence, and so far, 22 have been arrested. The investigation agency also questioned fire brigade officials Wednesday morning and are raiding places to catch another 20 culprits involved in the case.
Secondly, sources say that the CBI probe has revealed that the culprits entered the victims’ houses, mercilessly beat them up, and then set their place on fire.
The initial autopsy report, too, reflected that the victims were brutally beaten up before they were set afire.
The CBI is all set to interrogate some politicians too, but primarily, their focus is on the modus operandi of the crime and the culprits involved.
The CBI team reached Bogtui village near Rampurhat on March 26 and started its investigation into the violence.
Meanwhile, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to all Opposition leaders and non-BJP chief ministers on Tuesday, expressing her concern over the “Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central Government’s attack on the democratic fabric of this country” and called for a meeting to discuss a strategy to counter it.
Banerjee said that it was the need of the hour for Opposition parties to commit to the cause of a unified and principled opposition to give the country the “progressive governance” it deserves.
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