West Bengal post-poll violence: CBI charge sheet against 6 in connection with man killed in Sitakuchi

Pic: Zee News (representational purpose)

New Delhi: The CBI has charge-sheeted six people, said to be TMC workers, in connection with the killing of a man whose wife had earlier blamed "BJP goons" for the murder during post-poll violence at Sitalkuchi in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district, officials said on Tuesday.

The CBI has filed the charge sheet against Tahidul Mia, Haridas Barman, Madan Barman, Naba Kumar Barman, Shyamal Barman and Arabindo Barman in the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Cooch Behar, they said.

The wife of the deceased had claimed that her family was a Trinamool Congress supporter. Alpana Maitra Barman had alleged in an FIR that on May 3 her husband Manik Maitra was beaten up with iron rods by "BJP goons".

She had alleged that the goons had shot her husband in the belly and he succumbed to the injuries at a hospital. Alpana had claimed that filing of the FIR got delayed by two days as she was engaged in the last rites of her husband.

The CBI has taken over the cases after a five-judge bench of Calcutta High Court on August 19 entrusted the agency with investigations into the alleged murder and rape incidents reported during post-poll violence in West Bengal.

The HC's directions came after the National Human Rights Commission submitted a report on the violence in the state after the Assembly election results were announced on May 2, declaring an astounding victory for the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress humbling the BJP in a bitterly fought eight-phase electoral battle. PTI