Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation has been told to take over the case of eight people burnt alive in West Bengal’s Birbhum. The Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the CBI after denying a request by the Mamata Banerjee government to not hand over the investigation to the central agency.
Eight people – all women and children – were beaten and burnt alive by a mob on Tuesday.
Ms Banerjee has said the suspects would be hunted down if they did not surrender. Battling a furious political backlash over the savage killings and accused by the opposition BJP of condoning political violence, the Chief Minister also alleged that “something big” was behind the incident.
The Chief Minister has indicated she is wary of her rivals politicising the incident. Ms Banerjee and the BJP-led centre has long been fighting on several fronts and the latest incident may just open up another front.
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