The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued warrants against Rohan Sheikh, Marfat Sheikh and Khushil Sheikh, the three absconding persons named in the FIR in the Bagtui massacre case in Birbhum district. On 21 March 2022, near the Bagtui village crossing, upa pradhan of TMC, Bhadu Sheikh, was killed when miscreants hurled bombs at him and fired bullets from close range. The supporters of Bhadu Sheikh in retaliation torched the houses of people belonging to the camp of his rivals, and killed ten people including a child on the same night.
The incident rocked state politics at the time, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rush to Bagtui village along with the then Director General of Police (DGP), Manoj Malviya. Later the chief minister has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the first arrest was made on her directives. However the High Court later handed over the case to CBI.
The CBI after a few months arrested Lalan Sheikh, one of the key accused in this case from Jharkhand. However, he died in mysterious circumstances in the temporary camp office of CBI at Rampurhat. After the incident the CBI closed its temporary camp office.
But, the central investigating agency has still not stopped its investigations and in Bagtui village it has served and pasted notices on the walls of several houses declaring the three accused as fugitives and issuing warrants. All the airports and border authorities have been notified by the CBI about these three fugitives.
The CBI has lodged cases against all these three fugitives under eleven different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In the notice the CBI has instructed the accused to surrender before the court of additional district and sessions judge of rampurhat Court within 30 January. Mihilal Sheikh, one of victims, said that he wants exemplary punishment of the accused. “
They have poured petrol in our houses, closed the doors and burned to death the hapless innocent people who were locked inside and also prevented the fire brigade and police from dousing the flames on that night,”said Mihilala Sheikh of Bagtui village. This fresh notifications and sudden activity once again by CBI in the Bagtui massacre case just a few months before the Lok Sabha polls have created a fresh stir in political circles in Birbhum district.