CID books 7 CBI officers in Bogtui accused's death in custody
Kolkata(PTI): West Bengal CID Wednesday booked seven CBI officers including the DIG and an SP in connection with its probe into the custodial death of Lalan Shiekh, a prime accused in the Bogtui violence, an official said.
The seven have been booked on the charge of murder and other sections of the Indian Penal Code, a CID official said.
The state agency booked them following a police complaint lodged by Sheikh's wife, Reshma Bibi on Tuesday and sent to the additional chief judicial magistrate of Rampurhat district court.
An FIR has been lodged in the case under IPC sections 302 (murder), 323 (causing hurt) and 325 (assault and grievous hurt, 120b (criminal conspiracy), 448 (trespass), 509 (defamation of a woman and various other serious charges), he added.
The violence at Bogtui in Birbhum district took place on March 21, 2022 in the aftermath of the death of Trinamool Congress leader Bhadu Sheikh near his residence. Several houses were set on fire and ten people were reportedly killed.
When contacted, a CBI official claimed that a couple of the seven officers named by CID in its FIR are not linked to the ongoing probe into the Bogtui massacre.
"It is quite mysterious why some of our senior officers who had no link with the Bogtui violence case have been named in the FIR lodged by the CID. We are trying to challenge this move legally," the CBI officer told PTI. Reshma Bibi in her complaint alleged that the CBI officials had threatened to kill Sheikh when they took him to their residence at Bogtui village as part of the investigation. She also claimed that she was beaten by CBI officers during that visit.
The woman has also claimed that CBI officers called her up on Monday afternoon and informed her about Sheikh's death. During it they had threatened to kill her and her son, Reshma Bibi asserted.
The CBI rebuffed the allegations as "baseless and bereft of truth".
Meanwhile, a senior CBI officer reached the city on Tuesday night and held back-to-back meetings at the agency's office here to determine its next move against the state CID's FIR, a source in it said.
Sheikh was found hanging on Monday in the washroom of a temporary CBI office set up in a guest house at Rampurhat in West Bengal's Birbhum district. CBI officials claimed that he died by suicide and his family alleged that his death was due to torture in custody.
The district police too is probing the death.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
