Midnapore, May 28: A West Midnapore court today acquitted eight CPM activists in the 2001 Chhoto Angaria massacre for lack of evidence after an eight-year trial.

“The CBI could not establish the crimes allegedly committed by the accused. They were acquitted from the case on benefit of doubt,” said Biswanath Ghosh, the counsel for the accused, reading from the judgment.

Ghosh said the eight were acquitted because none of the charges — of murder, kidnapping with intention to murder, criminal conspiracy, arson, unlawful assembly with deadly weapons and illegal possession of arms — could be established. Two of the acquitted are CPM district committee leaders.

On the night of January 4, 2001, alleged CPM activists set fire to a house belonging to Trinamul Congress worker Abdur Baktar Mondal in Chhoto Angaria, West Midnapore, killing 11 Trinamul and People’s War Group activists. The CBI later said in its chargesheet that only five people, not 11, were killed.

The government ordered a CID probe, but Trinamul demanded a CBI inquiry. The government allowed it after a high court order.

Today, Shyamal Sengupta, the West Midnapore fifth additional district sessions judge, acquitted Tapan Ghosh and Sukur Ali, the members of the West Midnapore district committee, and the others.

One accused was murdered in 2004. Five are in hiding.

Nearly 3,000 CPM activists had assembled in the court this morning. Truckloads of activists came from Murshidabad to greet the eight.

“When they came out of jail, we garlanded them. They were taken in a procession to the Midnapore party office where a reception was held,” said district DYFI leader Sarfaraj Khan.

CBI lawyer Tapas Bose termed the verdict a “shame on Bengal”. “The state did not cooperate with us.... At least 17 of the 35 witnesses turned hostile because of threats,” he said, adding the agency would move a higher court.

Biman Bose, the CPM state secretary, said the verdict had made it “clear that they (the accused) were framed”.

Trinamul state president Subrata Bakshi said his party would launch a “political campaign against the acquittal”.