Kolkata: The Calcutta high court constituted a special investigation team (SIT), comprising the Central Bureau of Investigation and West Bengal police officers, on Wednesday to probe the violent mob attack on the Enforcement Directorate sleuths during their raid on the house of absconding Trinamul Congress strongman Shahjahan Sheikh at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas in the ration scam on January 5.
After hearing the arguments of the Mamata Banerjee government and the ED, which had earlier moved a petition against the attack and had challenged the state police FIR filed against its officials, Justice Joy Sengupta of the HC passed the order. The judge ruled that the CBI and the state police will be represented by a superintendent of police (SP)-rank officer from each side and both wings will have an equal number of personnel in the SIT which can requisition Central forces if needed.
Justice Sengupta, however, barred any cop of the Nyajat police station, under whose jurisdiction the mod attack took place, from becoming a member of the SIT. He also directed the SIT to submit a progress report of its probe before him by February 12, the next date of hearing in the case.
The Mamata Banerjee government has nominated IPS officer Jaspreet Singh, serving as SP (Islampur police district) in North Dinajpur, to represent the state police in the SIT.
It is not, however, clear who will represent the CBI in the SIT. On Tuesday, the HC ordered the installation of CCTV cameras by the police outside the house of the prime accused Mr Sheikh in Sarberia, Sandeshkhali, to collect information about his whereabouts. It also wondered why he had yet to surrender when his lawyer prayed to Justice Sengupta to allow his client to be a party in the case but withdraw the plea in the face of queries by the judge.
