The Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered a CBI investigation into the murder of Congress councillor Tapan Kandu of Jhalda Municipality in West Bengal's Purulia district.
On a prayer by Purnima Kandu, the widow of the councillor, Justice Rajasekhar Mantha directed the central agency to submit a report on its investigation in the case in 45 days.
The court also directed that the investigation of the case be transferred from the West Bengal police to the CBI.
Kundu was gunned down by unidentified goons on March 13 evening when he was out for a stroll with his wife. Police have made hardly any breakthrough in the case apart from arresting nephew Dipak Kandu, who had fought the civic poll against his uncle and lost.
The Congress had been demanding a CBI probe and had previously found support from CPI(M).
CPM central committee member and former MP Sujan Chakraborty had visited the residence of the slain councillor in Jhalda on March 19 and made the demand for a CBI probe into the murder.
“Police and criminals are working in tandem with the Trinamul. This is a political conspiracy,” Chakraborty had said after his visit to the Kandu residence.
“A Congress councillor was killed so that Trinamul could form the board. Everyday the inspector-in-charge of Jhalda police station called the slain councillor to pressurise him to join his party. The IC has formed a party. This cannot be a case to be probed by a special investigation team. We demand court-monitored CBI probe."
The CPM leader had made the comment days after the state Congress president and leader in Lok Sabha, Adhir Chowdhury had placed a similar demand on the floor of the Lok Sabha. The Purulia district police had formed a special investigation team, though the family members kept up their demand for a CBI probe.
In her complaint filed with the Jhalda police station, the slain councillor’s wife, Purnima had named the inspector-in-charge of Jhalda Sanjib Ghosh, the victim’s brother Naren Kandu and nephew Deepak. The Purulia police had arrested Deepak, who had contested in the civic polls unsuccessfully against his late uncle.
