The West Bengal police have filed a case against CBI officials in connection to the alleged suicide of Bogtui violence-accused Lalan Sheikh in CBI custody in Birbhum district.
A First Information Report (FIR) registered by the state police names senior CBI officials for the "murder" of the accused. The central agency has rejected the allegations as "baseless" and will challenge the FIR in court.
A senior CBI official had also clarified that if any of the agency sleuths were found guilty of lapses during the inquiry into the case, they will have to face strict action. "We are here to investigate the case. Nobody in our team asks for money from anybody. Such allegations are absolutely baseless," the CBI officer added.
Sheikh was the prime accused in Bogtui violence, an incident that followed the murder of local Trinamool Congress leader Bhadu Sheikh. As many as 10 people died in the incident and the CBI is investigating the incident on the orders of the Calcutta High Court.
Sheikh was arrested from Jharkhand on December 4th, eight months after the incident. Since then, he was in CBI custody until he was found hanging on Monday in the washroom of the central agency's camp office. The CBI officials claimed he died by suicide.
However, Sheikh's wife Reshma Bibi filed a complaint at Rampurhat Police Station, alleging that CBI officials had threatened to kill her husband during their visit to Bogtui village as part of the investigation process.
Sheikh's death triggered protests in front of the CBI camp office after his family members staged demonstrations alleging custody torture. Villagers gathered outside the office bearing placards of ‘Go Back CBI’ and squatted outside the temporary set-up.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too condemned the incident. "I condemn the incident. If the CBI is so smart, why is he (Sheikh) dead inside their custody? I think his wife has lodged an FIR and we will also raise the issue," Banerjee told reporters in Shillong where she had gone to hold party programmes.
