Calcutta HC refuses to hear plea for CBI probe into twin murders in Murshidabad

Kolkata, May 15 (IANS) A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to hear a plea for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the twin murders of Hargobindo Das and Chandan Das, the father and the son killed in communal violence at Samserganj in minority-dominated Murshidabad of West Bengal last month.

To recall, on May 5, the family members of the slain father and son approached Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh with the petition seeking a CBI probe in the twin murders.

However, Justice Ghosh refused to hear the matter and said that since a matter related to communal violence was already being heard by the division bench of Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das, the petitioner should approach the same division bench with the plea.

However, on Thursday, the division bench of Justice Sen and Justice Das observed that it was not always necessary that a division bench would hear any petition relating to the violence.

The division bench also observed that the hearing can be conducted at the single- judge bench concerned which generally hears such matters. The family members of the slain father and son appealed to the court that since they did not have any faith on the probe by the state police in the matter of the twin murders, they wanted a CBI probe.

The family members have also sought security cover from the central armed police forces personnel for them. Legal circles feel that since matters related to police excesses or police inaction are being heard by the single-judge bench of Justice Ghosh, there is a high possibility that the case might be referred back to his bench again.

Earlier, the National Commission for Women (NCW) issued a statement claiming that the commission had taken urgent cognizance of a plea from the widows of the slain father and son, accusing the West Bengal Police of excesses against them.

--IANS

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