CBI Arrests 7 In Murder Case Linked To Bengal Post-Poll Violence

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested seven people today in connection with a murder case in north Bengal’s Cooch Behar in connection with post-poll violence in the state, officials said.

The family of the victim – Hardhan Roy – had alleged that one Arjun Munda had taken him close to a river on May 3 where he was later found smeared in blood, they said. He was then taken to the hospital where he had died during treatment, the FIR read.

The CBI had arrested four people on Saturday in connection with another murder case reported during the violence in Cooch Behar’s Tufanganj.

It was alleged that on May 4 Trinamool Congress supporters Sahinur Ahmed and Prosenjit were having dinner when four BJP supporters joined them. After dinner, Sahinur and Prosenjit were attacked and severely injured.

They were dragged to a nearby maize field and left there. Prosenjit survived but Sahinur was found dead, the FIR said.

The CBI has taken over the cases on the instructions of a five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court that had entrusted the agency with the investigation into the alleged murder and rape incidents reported during post-poll violence in Bengal, they said.

The High Court’s directives came after a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) submitted a report on the violence in the state that followed the announcement of the assembly election results on May 2 in which the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress defeated the BJP in a bitterly-fought eight-phase contest.