The Hon’ble SC on Monday adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by the State of West Bengal challenging the High Court’s direction for CBI investigation into the cases of murder, rapes, and crimes against women committed during the post-poll violence in West Bengal.
A bench consisting of Justice Vineet Saran and Aniruddha Bose adjourned the hearing to September 28 for the final hearing. The bench adjourned the hearing when the counsel representing West Bengal Government Senior Advocate Kapil Sibbal asked the court to grant him 2-3 hours for the submission of the documents.
Mr. Sibbal, on Monday, submitted to the court that the CBI inquiry was ordered without proper ascertainment of facts. He pleaded that “in certain cases where there is an allegation that the investigation is subdued, the courts take facts into consideration and order for CBI inquiry with a prima facie conclusion”. He further added that the present case was en masse transferred to CBI. The person who was allegedly murdered is still alive, he added.
CBI is investigating matters of dacoity in the grab of investigating post-poll violence, he contended. Senior Advocates Harish Salve and Mahesh Jethmalani were also appearing on the caveat of the petitioner.
After analyzing the scenarios the court adjourned the matter to 28 September for a final hearing. The state government alleged that the CBI investigation is at the behest of the Centre hence doubted its fairness. On August 19, Calcutta High Court ordered for the CBI inquiry into post-poll violence cases of rape, murder, and offenses against women.
