Nine days after his arrest by the CBI, Lalan Sheikh, the main accused in the Bogtui massacre case, was found dead in the CBI’s temporary camp office here on Monday. His body was found hanging from the ceiling of a bathroom, according to official sources. 

He had been in CBI custody since the time of his arrest. Lalan Sheikh is the main accused in the Bogtui massacre and was arrested by CBI on 3 December from his house. His family has alleged that CBI personnel beat him to death. 

The dead body has been sent to Rampurhat Medical College Hospital. The Birbhum district police has been informed and the videography of the scene has been done. CBI officials claimed that he was found hanging from the ceiling of the bathroom with his gamcha (towel) at around 4.25 p.m. 

Samsunnar Biwi, sister of the deceased Lalan Sheikh said that the CBI officials had beaten her brother mercilessly and denied him water. The officials also beat his wife, she has alleged. The SDPO of Rampurhat has rushed to Rampurhat Medical College Hospital and then to the temporary camp office of the CBI after getting the information. 

The camp office has been barricaded and armed police personnel have been deployed to guard the camp office. On 21 March this year, an Upa Pradhan belonging to the TMC, Bhadu Sheikh, was killed by miscreants. After his murder his associates burned down the houses of his rival group in Bogtui village after dousing them in petrol. 

Ten villagers died in the incident. Calcutta High Court had directed a CBI probe into the Bogtui massacre incident. Lalan Sheikh was very close to Bhadu Sheikh. He fled to Pakur district in Jharkhand and was hiding since the incident. Recently he came back as his resources had dried up. Acting on a tip off the CBI officials nabbed him. Sheikh’s family has threatened to lodge a murder case against the CBI. 

They alleged that lalan Sheikh could not stand on his own because of having been beaten. The case was intially handled by the Birbhum Police and then by a Special Task Force (SIT). Chief minister mamata Banerjee had also visited Bogtui village after the incident.