Meanwhile, the CBI on Wednesday registered one more case as part of its investigation into post-poll violence, taking the total to 35.
TMC leader Sheikh Sufiyan, a Nandigram polling agent of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the recent Assembly elections, was on Thursday questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for more than four hours at its Haldia camp in connection with its ongoing probe into post-poll violence.
Accompanied by his lawyer, Sufiyan was questioned in the murder case of BJP worker Debabrata Maity. He entered the Port Trust’s guest house in Haldia around 10 am and left at around 2.30 pm.
“I have answered every question of the CBI — with a straight spine. I am ready to co-operate with them in the future too,” Sufiyan told media after questioning. “We are Mamata Banerjee’s soldiers and have the courage to fight,” he added.
A day after the Assembly poll results were announced on May 2, BJP’s Maity and his house were attacked allegedly by TMC workers. He succumbed to injuries at SSKM Hospital in Kolkata on May 13.
On the direction of the Calcutta High Court, a team of the National Human Rights Commission had visited the area in Nandigram and received allegations against TMC workers and Sufiyan. The CBI had filed a murder case on August 31 and recorded the statements of Maity’s family three days later. Later, Sufiyan and two others were summoned to appear before the CBI on Thursday.
CM Banerjee had lost the Nandigram seat to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari and is now contesting the Bhabanipur seat in a bypoll.
Reacting to Sufiyan’s questioning, state minister Firhad Hakim said, “The CBI can call anyone. This doesn’t mean we will sit at home out of fear. Investigating officials can question people. How does it matter?”
Meanwhile, the CBI on Wednesday registered one more case as part of its investigation into post-poll violence, taking the total to 35. The case was earlier registered by West Bengal Police against 12 people on a complaint at Sitalkuchi police station in Cooch Behar.
On April 10, the complainant along with his brother and father went to cast vote at a primary school, according to the FIR. Twelve people allegedly hurled bombs at the three members of the family and one of the accused fired at the complainant’s brother. The brother received bullet injuries and was taken to Sitalkuchi hospital where he was declared dead.
CBI raids several places in coal case
The CBI on Thursday carried out raids in different parts of Bengal in an ongoing probe into the coal pilferage case. Raids were conducted in Farakka, Kolkata and Asansol as well as other locations of Eastern Coalfield Limited.
Source: Read Full Article