Sitalkuchi firing: CID summons probe officer to gather details of CISF firing

According to sources, the inspector in charge of Mathabhanga police station would be summoned next, based on the statements of the investigating officer

The polling booth in Sitalkuchi where the firing took place.: File picture

Kinsuk Basu   |  TT  |  Calcutta  |  07.05.21: The CID on Thursday summoned the investigating officer of Mathabhanga police station in Cooch Behar district to gather details of his initial probe into the CISF firing outside a polling booth in the Sitalkuchi Assembly segment during the fourth phase of the voting.

A Special Investigation Team of the CID — set up to probe the firing on April 10 — sent out the summon to the investigating officer, asking him to depose at Bhabani Bhavan, the state police headquarters in Alipore here, within next few days. The CID said the officer should come with all documents and evidence that he had collected so far.

Sources in the CID said the probe would revolve around three key questions.

• What had exactly happened at the booth at Jorpatki village in Sitalkuchi that forced the CISF to open fire? Did the crowd become so violent that the lives of the CISF personnel on duty were at risk?
• Why were the deceased shot on their upper part of their bodies as the preliminary post-mortem report has revealed? If it was a law and order situation, why weren’t the trouble-mongers fired on their legs?
• What instructions were sent out by the senior officers of the CISF after they were briefed of the trouble brewing at the booth and whether the state police counterparts were kept informed about the next course of action?

While sending out the summon, the investigating officer of the case has been asked to report within the next few days in Calcutta.

Sources in the CID said based on the statements of the investigating officer, the inspector in charge of Mathabhanga police station would be summoned next.

While a team will remain busy questioning the police officers, another team will leave for Jorpatki village.

Officers of this team would visit the booth. The SIT will also talk to police personnel who rushed to the booth after the firing on April 10.

Immediately after the firing, Trinamul had claimed the deceased were its supporters who were gunned down when they were standing in queue to cast their votes.

Cop shuffle

The government on Thursday sent the chiefs of three police districts — Alipurduar, Burdwan East and Howrah Rural — on compulsory waiting. Rajesh Kumar, additional director general of police in charge of Western Zone, was also sent on compulsory waiting.

The government also shifted the chiefs of Ranaghat, Jangipur and Krishnanagar police districts.

“More transfers are likely as the chief minister begins taking stock of the law and order in each district,” said a senior officer of the home department.