Calcutta, May 28: Mamata Banerjee has decided to form a judicial inquiry commission to probe the 1970 Sainbari massacre in which CPM leaders Nirupam Sen and Benoy Konar were accused, the move prompting cries of “political vendetta” from the Left.

The decision is likely to be announced on Monday. The government is planning to form another such commission to investigate the Baranagar-Cossipore massacre of the early seventies in which several Naxalite youths were killed allegedly by police and Congress activists.

On Monday, the chief minister is also likely to announce the formation of a 10-member committee to review the cases related to political prisoners jailed during the Left Front rule, government sources said.

The new cabinet has decided to probe “all major massacres during the Left’s 34-year rule as well as those involving the Left before they came to power”, a source said.

Speaking about the Sainbari killings, law minister Malay Ghatak said: “The murders of four members of the Sain family in Burdwan was one of the most gruesome instances of CPM atrocities on Congress supporters in the state. Justice was denied to the victims’ family after the Left came to power. Now, the chief minister wants a probe into the massacre. She wants the culprits booked.” The commission will be asked to submit its report within six months.

Ghatak said former industries minister Sen, CPM state secretariat member Konar and the party’s Burdwan secretary, Amal Haldar, were among the 67 accused in the case. “Benoy Konar was identified in the TI (test and identification) parade by the victims’ family. The trial could not be completed as the Left Front government withdrew the case after coming to power in 1977,’’ Ghatak said.

The accused CPM leaders have denied involvement in the massacre. “The Mamata government’s decision is nothing but political vendetta,’’ Konar said. He said the report of the Justice Tarapada Mukherjee committee, which had probed the massacre, was “favourable to us”.

“Those who were killed were not Congress supporters but anti-socials. The incident happened when bombs were hurled at a CPM rally. The police were responsible for what happened later,’’ Konar added. The CPM veteran refused comment when asked if he was suggesting the murders were the result of “mob fury”.

The committee that will look into the cases of political prisoners booked either under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act or charged with sedition will consist of the home and judicial secretaries, the additional director-general of police and five representatives from human rights organisations.

“The government will act upon the recommendations of the committee and consider the withdrawal of the cases against the accused,’’ Ghatak said.