February 19, 2011
CID ‘impotent’, Netai probe goes to CBI – Govt shielding culprits, says HC
Calcutta, Feb. 18: Calcutta High Court today handed over the Netai firing case to the CBI, dissatisfied with an “impotent†CID’s “failure†to “lay its hands†on the CPM leaders who had “masterminded†the massacre of nine people and criticised the state government for “shielding the culpritsâ€. A division bench’s searing questions also brought to light that the key accused had confessed that the instructions to open fire were issued by the CPM’s Lalgarh local committee. In comments that are certain to make the government squirm in ignominy, the court felt that the CID would not be able to carry out the probe “fairly and impartiallyâ€. The division bench of Chief Justice J.N. Patel and Justice A.K. Roy asked advocate-general Balai Ray “why the CID had not even interrogated the members†of the CPM’s Lalgarh local committee†although it had mentioned in its report that one of the arrested accused, Abani Singh, had “confessed†that the January 7 firing “was following the instructions†of the committee. Singh, himself a member of the local committee, was arrested on Monday. When Ray pointed out that Singh had not named anybody, the court became furious. “Then why all the leaders and members (of the committee) have not been arrested yet? Why were they not even interrogated?†the chief justice asked. “We fail to understand what prevents the CID from laying its hands on the root of the problem and reach the CPM leaders. So, in our view, the CID will not be able to carry out the investigation fairly and impartially,†the judgment says. The court said the CID and the local police were “acting like the impotentâ€. Chief Justice Patel said the CID “did not arrest the culprits even though it had the information that the CPM’s Lalgarh local committee had masterminded the crimeâ€. The court directed the CID to make such arrests by Monday. When advocate-general Ray said it would be impossible for the CID to conduct interrogation and arrests in such a short span and prayed for a week’s time, the court decided to deliver the judgment today. Concluding that “no further time should be wasted with the CIDâ€, the high court directed the state government to hand over the case “forthwith†to the CBI and “extend all positive assistance to the central investigating agencyâ€. The court said it would monitor the progress of the investigation and directed the CBI to file a progress report in a fortnight. The bench accused the state government of “shielding the culprits†because they were “CPM leadersâ€. The judges asked Ray about the source of the arms that were used during the Netai firing. When Ray failed to give a satisfactory answer, the court remarked: “It is strange that the party is funding the armed camp but it has no idea where the arms are coming from.â€
