Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asked the West Bengal government why action has not been taken in the murder case of an independent panchayat member in which the name of a district Trinamool Congress leader has cropped up.
Justice Harish Tandon, who was assigned the matter by Chief Justice Arun Mishra after another judge recused citing personal reasons last week, asked the state government what has been done so far except for filing an FIR on the basis of a video footage produced before the court.
In the footage, Birbhum district Trinamool Congress president Anubrata Mandal was allegedly seen giving an inflammatory speech a few days before the death of Sagar Ghosh, who had left the ruling party after being denied ticket in the 2013 panchayat elections and won a seat as an independent.
Mondal is one of the 41 accused in the murder of Sagar Ghosh in July 2013 at Parui in Birbhum district.
Appearing for the state government, Ashok Banerjee submitted that Justice Dipankar Dutta, who was hearing the matter earlier, had made observations on the basis of a part of the video.
He submitted before Justice Tandon that the controversial video footage be considered in totality.
Justice Tandon then directed the state to file an affidavit in support of its claims within July two.
The petitioner in the case was directed to file his affidavit in reply within July seven.
The matter would come up for hearing on July eight, he directed.
Sagar`s son Hridoy Ghosh had moved the high court seeking an independent investigation into the case.
