The investigating officer of the June 23 Molandi bomb attack case, in which 10-year-old student Tamanna Khatun was killed, was replaced on Wednesday.
Inspector Dibakar Das, officer-in-charge of Kaliganj police station, was removed from the investigation by police authorities and replaced by Nakashipara circle inspector Md Mahiul Islam.
The decision followed an appeal by the victim’s mother, Sabina Sheikh, who met Krishnanagar police district superintendent Amarnath K. on Tuesday.
According to sources, Sabina expressed dissatisfaction over the way the probe was being conducted and raised serious concerns about the credibility of the investigating officer.
During the meeting, she reportedly alleged Das shown little interest in the case and had not even spoken to her since the probe began.
“Sabina Sheikh also told the SP that even since beginning of the probe, the IO did not bother to meet her to know about the course of events that occurred on June 23, when her daughter Tamanna was killed in the bomb attack,” a source present at the meeting told The Telegraph.
Sabina also alleged that Das had earlier been posted in Kaliganj when she had seen him in close contact with now-disgraced Trinamool leader Gawal Sheikh and his brothers, among those named as prime accused in the FIR.
On June 23, Trinamool won the Kaliganj by-election. The bomb that killed Tamanna allegedly came from a victory procession.
Sabina reportedly deposed before the SP that Das lacked credibility and requested his replacement.
She also accused Das of a visible connection with those accused in her daughter’s murder.
Senior police officers declined to comment on the reasons behind the replacement of the investigating officer. Sabina also avoided mentioning her specific appeal when speaking on record.
“I raised some issues before the SP, which he acknowledged and very sympathetically promised to sort out,” she said.
New investigating officer Md Mahiul Islam visited Molandi and met Sabina, visiting homes allegedly attacked by armed Trinamool supporters. Allegedly, alleged Trinamool-backed goons attacked several houses of CPM supporters in Molandi village. One of those homes was Sabina’s, where they hurled a crude bomb, killing her daughter Tamanna instantly.
So far, only 10 out of 24 accused have been arrested, about which Sabina expressed her dissatisfaction.
On Thursday, police produced a key witness — whose home was also attacked — in the Krishnanagar court to record his statement before a judicial magistrate.