The autopsy report of the eight victims who were charred to death in Bogtui village in West Bengal’s Birbhum district has revealed that they were mercilessly beaten up before the carnage. The forensic experts from Rampurhat hospital, where the body of the deceased’s was sent for post-mortem reportedly told news agency PTI that the victims were first badly beaten up then set on fire.
MOMENTS AGO: Autopsy report in the Birbhum violence case reveals that the victims were badly beaten up before being burnt alive#BirbhumViolence #Birbhum pic.twitter.com/5MMGFookmL
— Mirror Now (@MirrorNow) March 24, 2022
Calcutta HC orders state govt to submit status report on Birbhum massacre probe
Notably, after taking sou-motu cognizance of the Birbhum massacre in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court had issued directions to the state government to ensure a proper probe of the case. Taking up the matter on March 23, the court asked the state government to submit the case diary and a report on the investigation so far by Thursday, March 24.
The court also issued directions for the protection of evidence and the crime scene. The court ordered that the scene must be continuously monitored through CCTV cameras. The court directed the state govt to “immediately install CCTV cameras with DVR having sufficient memory covering all angles of the scene of occurrence and will do continuous recording until further orders.” Cameras will have to be installed in the presence of the District Judge of Purba Bardhaman district.
The Calcutta High Court directed that a team from CFSL in Delhi will visit the site to collect forensic evidence. The order said that the evidence will have to be collected without any delay.
The bench also asked the DGP and the IGP to ensure the protection of witnesses in the case.
Birbhum Massacre
On Tuesday, March 22, unidentified miscreants had set a dozen houses on fire, killing at least eight people. The incident occurred in the Rampurhat area of West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
According to reports, the miscreants locked the houses from outside before torching them, leaving no room for the occupants to flee. The incident occurred following the assassination of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) functionary named Bhadu Sheikh on Monday, March 21.
So far, at least 20 people have been arrested in connection with the carnage. On one hand, CM Mamata Banerjee had promised an impartial investigation, while on the other she attempted to downplay the incident by claiming that such incidents are more common in other states such as UP, Bihar, and Rajasthan. She also accused the opposition of attempting to defame the state by exploiting the incident.
