Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court today directed the CBI to investigate the murder of Congress councillor of Jhalda municipality Tapan Kandu on 13 March.
Though there have been four arrests by the state police, the deceased’s wife Purnima Kandu had moved court seeking CBI enquiry. The court directed CBI to give the initial report in 45 days to the concerned magistrate and pray for time if it was unable to do so. The court pointed out some of the lacunae in the investigation of the state police.
The court had earlier taken note that complaint was not taken at first at Jhalda police station, which is a violation of a directive of the Supreme Court. Directing the state police to hand over all documents pertaining to the case to the CBI, the court pointed out that superintendent of police, Purulia, in a press meet yesterday had given a clean chit to Jhalda IC Sanjib Ghosh. This clean chit was given even before the final report comes.
The investigation is not yet over, it was pointed out. The order of CBI investigation was given to restore confidence in the minds of the petitioner and the people, the single bench observed. The SP Purulia had said yesterday that Kandu’s death was a result of a family dispute.
There were charges against IC Jhalda even before Kandu’s death, it was stated. But he was not taken into custody, it was pointed out. The crime spot was not photographed immediately after Kandu’s death, the court pointed out. Kolebar Singh has been arrested in connection with Kandu’s murder from outside. But he was not taken into transit remand but shown as arrested in Purulia, the court pointed out. The family members of the deceased alleged that an audio clip with the IC and a family member of the deceased made the former an object of suspicion.
The mobile phone of the IC has not been seized and he has not been taken into custody. The complaint stated Sanjib Ghosh’s name but he is still moving around, petitioner’s counsel, Koustav Bagchi said. The first complaint was not taken as