Tag: Special Investigation Team

  • Karnataka: Govt writes to MEA, seeks cancellation of diplomatic passport of Revanna jr

    The State Government has written to the ministry of external affairs (MEA) seeking cancellation of the diplomatic passport issued to Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna for dodging summons from the special investigation team (SIT) probing complaints of sexual abuse of women, against him.

    The letter follows a special court issuing an arrest warrant against him, Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Tuesday.

    The first-time MP is seeking reelection from Hassan as an NDA candidate, and fled the country a day after the April 26 polls.Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the home minister added, had already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for speedy cancellation of his passport.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesThe government asking for cancellation of the passport in accordance with the law was one thing. But a court has issued an arrest warrant now, and the government has followed up on its earlier letter with a fresh one, the minister said.If the MEA were to cancel Revanna Jr’s diplomatic passport, it would become impossible for the MP to stay on in a foreign country and would be forced to return, Parameshwara said. He also added that the MEA would have to respond to the state’s communication now.The SIT is probing complaints of sexual harassment alleged by the Hassan MP and widespread leaks of explicit videos days ahead of the polls.On May 18, the special court trying cases involving elected representatives ordered an arrest warrant against Revanna Jr after the SIT made an application seeking the same.

    The SIT has moved a step further in efforts to get the MP back in Bengaluru at the earliest after its look out notices and blue corner notice have not led to his return.

  • ISRO espionage case: SC sets aside anticipatory bail of four former officers; asks HC to consider bail pleas afresh

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Kerala HC to consider afresh anticipatory bail pleas of former Gujarat DGP RB Sreekumar, two former police officers of Kerala, S Vijayan and Thampi S Durga Dutt, and a retired intelligence official P S Jayaprakash accused of hatching a conspiracy to frame former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayan and others in the ISRO espionage case.

    The retired Kerala Police officers S Vijayan and Thampi S Durga Dutt were part of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which arrested the scientist.

    The bench led by Justice MR Shah while setting aside HC’s order asked it to reconsider their pleas within four weeks. It further granted interim protection from arrest to the accused for five weeks and till the HC decides their pleas subject to them cooperating in the investigation.

    Court’s order came in a plea filed by CBI challenging Kerala HC’s April 16 order granting them anticipatory bail. HC while granting them bail had observed that concerns of the Kerala police at that stage about the espionage case cannot be said to be without basis.

    “Some of the documents which have been produced for perusal indicate that there were certain suspicious circumstances pointing towards the act of the Scientists in the ISRO and that is what induced the officers to proceed against them”, Justice Ashok Menon had noted in the order.

    The High Court also remarked that there was “not even a scintilla of evidence” to suggest that the petitioners accused of implicating former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan in the espionage case were influenced by foreign elements.

    Challenging the bail, the probe agency had contended that the HC had granted anticipatory bail on the ground that the matter was old. ASG SV Raju had added that despite the offence which was committed 25 years ago, top court had directed for registration of FIR and it was not open for the HC to grant bail on this ground. On the other hand, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal for the then IB officer, argued accused was charged for “bailable offences”. He also added that there was no allegation against him in the FIR and there was no basis for the probe agency to take him into custody.

    Narayanan and six others were accused of selling secrets pertaining to ISRO’s cryogenic programme to women who were allegedly spying for Russia, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and other countries. In 1994, he and two other businessmen were arrested on the charges of espionage.

    In September 2018, the Supreme Court had held that the prosecution initiated by Kerala Police in the 1990’s in relation to the ISRO Espionage Case was maliciously moved against the Scientist, causing him immense humiliation. As a result of this, the Kerala Government was directed to pay compensation of Rs. 50 lac to Narayanan. Further to this, a three-member committee was constituted to probe into the illegal arrest of Narayanan.

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Kerala HC to consider afresh anticipatory bail pleas of former Gujarat DGP RB Sreekumar, two former police officers of Kerala, S Vijayan and Thampi S Durga Dutt, and a retired intelligence official P S Jayaprakash accused of hatching a conspiracy to frame former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayan and others in the ISRO espionage case.

    The retired Kerala Police officers S Vijayan and Thampi S Durga Dutt were part of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which arrested the scientist.

    The bench led by Justice MR Shah while setting aside HC’s order asked it to reconsider their pleas within four weeks. It further granted interim protection from arrest to the accused for five weeks and till the HC decides their pleas subject to them cooperating in the investigation.

    Court’s order came in a plea filed by CBI challenging Kerala HC’s April 16 order granting them anticipatory bail. HC while granting them bail had observed that concerns of the Kerala police at that stage about the espionage case cannot be said to be without basis.

    “Some of the documents which have been produced for perusal indicate that there were certain suspicious circumstances pointing towards the act of the Scientists in the ISRO and that is what induced the officers to proceed against them”, Justice Ashok Menon had noted in the order.

    The High Court also remarked that there was “not even a scintilla of evidence” to suggest that the petitioners accused of implicating former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan in the espionage case were influenced by foreign elements.

    Challenging the bail, the probe agency had contended that the HC had granted anticipatory bail on the ground that the matter was old. ASG SV Raju had added that despite the offence which was committed 25 years ago, top court had directed for registration of FIR and it was not open for the HC to grant bail on this ground. On the other hand, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal for the then IB officer, argued accused was charged for “bailable offences”. He also added that there was no allegation against him in the FIR and there was no basis for the probe agency to take him into custody.

    Narayanan and six others were accused of selling secrets pertaining to ISRO’s cryogenic programme to women who were allegedly spying for Russia, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and other countries. In 1994, he and two other businessmen were arrested on the charges of espionage.

    In September 2018, the Supreme Court had held that the prosecution initiated by Kerala Police in the 1990’s in relation to the ISRO Espionage Case was maliciously moved against the Scientist, causing him immense humiliation. As a result of this, the Kerala Government was directed to pay compensation of Rs. 50 lac to Narayanan. Further to this, a three-member committee was constituted to probe into the illegal arrest of Narayanan.

  • Sexual assault of nursery student in school bus in Bhopal; CM asks cops to act against lapses

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: Three days after the shocking incident of three and half years old nursery student having allegedly been sexually assaulted in the school bus by bus driver in presence of a woman caretaker was reported, the Bhopal police have started specific investigations into the school management’s role in the case.

    Members of Bhopal Police’s special investigation team (SIT) constituted to probe the case, spent hours at the prominent school on Thursday, recording statements of all possible staff members in connection with the case, particularly the school’s failure to put in place fully operational CCTV cameras inside the bus (in which the alleged incident happened on September 8) and timely report the matter to police, even after coming to know about it from the little girl’s parents on September 9 only.

    Thursday’s development happened just after the state’s chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, reviewed the progress of investigations in the case and questioned top police brass of Bhopal, about why action wasn’t taken against the school, when it was found wanting in many key aspects, pertaining to security provisions in the bus as well as timely reporting of the alleged crime to the police.

    “Call the school management and take action against it for whatever lapses have been committed by it. This isn’t a small incident, but a serious incident, which pertains to the safety and security of all school children in the city. We need to send a strong message across to all schools that any lapses and compromise with students’ safety will not be tolerated at any cost,” the CM reportedly told the top brass of Bhopal police at the meeting to review the case’s probe.

    “Irrespective of the prominence of the school, action needs to be taken against its management in case of lapses in students safety,” the CM asked the police officers, while also questioning what was the School Education Department doing in the matter, to ensure safety and security of students of all schools in Bhopal and elsewhere.

    Meanwhile, as per informed sources, the police has got enough evidence to nail the school management (particularly the school’s owner and principal in the case) over the non-operation of the CCTV cameras installed on the bus and the delay in reporting the alleged crime to the police.

    Importantly, the parents of the nursery student girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted had informed about it to the school management on September 9 only (just a day after the shocking incident), but instead of reporting it to Bhopal police, the school management preferred to be inactive in the matter.

    With the school management not reporting the incident to the police, even three days after coming to know about it, the girl’s parents reported the crime to Bhopal Police on September 12, after which the cops not only booked the bus driver and the bus’s woman caretaker under IPC Sections and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act but also arrested the duo the same day.

    BHOPAL: Three days after the shocking incident of three and half years old nursery student having allegedly been sexually assaulted in the school bus by bus driver in presence of a woman caretaker was reported, the Bhopal police have started specific investigations into the school management’s role in the case.

    Members of Bhopal Police’s special investigation team (SIT) constituted to probe the case, spent hours at the prominent school on Thursday, recording statements of all possible staff members in connection with the case, particularly the school’s failure to put in place fully operational CCTV cameras inside the bus (in which the alleged incident happened on September 8) and timely report the matter to police, even after coming to know about it from the little girl’s parents on September 9 only.

    Thursday’s development happened just after the state’s chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, reviewed the progress of investigations in the case and questioned top police brass of Bhopal, about why action wasn’t taken against the school, when it was found wanting in many key aspects, pertaining to security provisions in the bus as well as timely reporting of the alleged crime to the police.

    “Call the school management and take action against it for whatever lapses have been committed by it. This isn’t a small incident, but a serious incident, which pertains to the safety and security of all school children in the city. We need to send a strong message across to all schools that any lapses and compromise with students’ safety will not be tolerated at any cost,” the CM reportedly told the top brass of Bhopal police at the meeting to review the case’s probe.

    “Irrespective of the prominence of the school, action needs to be taken against its management in case of lapses in students safety,” the CM asked the police officers, while also questioning what was the School Education Department doing in the matter, to ensure safety and security of students of all schools in Bhopal and elsewhere.

    Meanwhile, as per informed sources, the police has got enough evidence to nail the school management (particularly the school’s owner and principal in the case) over the non-operation of the CCTV cameras installed on the bus and the delay in reporting the alleged crime to the police.

    Importantly, the parents of the nursery student girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted had informed about it to the school management on September 9 only (just a day after the shocking incident), but instead of reporting it to Bhopal police, the school management preferred to be inactive in the matter.

    With the school management not reporting the incident to the police, even three days after coming to know about it, the girl’s parents reported the crime to Bhopal Police on September 12, after which the cops not only booked the bus driver and the bus’s woman caretaker under IPC Sections and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act but also arrested the duo the same day.

  • Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt sent to 7-day police custody

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD:  Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who was arrested on Tuesday through a transfer warrant in a case of conspiring to falsely implicate innocent people in the 2002 communal riots, was on Wednesday sent to Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody till July 20. 

    His arrest comes days after social activist Teesta Setalvad and former Director General of Police of Gujarat, R B Sreekumar, were held by the authorities in the same case. “We took Sanjiv Bhatt’s custody from Palanpur jail on transfer warrant and formally arrested him on Tuesday evening,” Ahmedabad Crime Branch’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chaitanya Mandlik, said.

    Bhatt has been in Palanpur jail since 2018 after he was convicted in a 27-year-old case, wherein he was accused of falsely framing a Rajasthan-based lawyer by planting narcotics on him. During this trial, he was also sentenced to life for a custodial death case in Jamnagar. 

    On June 24, the Supreme Court dismissed a challenge brought by Zakia Ehsan Jafri that contested the SIT’s closure report and claimed a bigger plot involving officials and other parties in Gujarat riots that followed the Godhra incident.

    AHMEDABAD:  Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who was arrested on Tuesday through a transfer warrant in a case of conspiring to falsely implicate innocent people in the 2002 communal riots, was on Wednesday sent to Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody till July 20. 

    His arrest comes days after social activist Teesta Setalvad and former Director General of Police of Gujarat, R B Sreekumar, were held by the authorities in the same case. “We took Sanjiv Bhatt’s custody from Palanpur jail on transfer warrant and formally arrested him on Tuesday evening,” Ahmedabad Crime Branch’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chaitanya Mandlik, said.

    Bhatt has been in Palanpur jail since 2018 after he was convicted in a 27-year-old case, wherein he was accused of falsely framing a Rajasthan-based lawyer by planting narcotics on him. During this trial, he was also sentenced to life for a custodial death case in Jamnagar. 

    On June 24, the Supreme Court dismissed a challenge brought by Zakia Ehsan Jafri that contested the SIT’s closure report and claimed a bigger plot involving officials and other parties in Gujarat riots that followed the Godhra incident.

  • DIG-led team to probe case against Setalvad

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD:  The Gujarat Police have formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case against activist Teesta Setalvad and former IPS officers RB Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt who have been accused of “abusing the process of law by fabricating evidence to frame innocent people” in connection with the 2002 communal riots.

    The SIT will be headed by DIG (ATS) Deepan Bhadran and will include DCP (Crime) Chaitanya Mandlik, ATS SP Sunil Joshi and ASP B C Solanki. After Teesta Setalvad was detained in Mumbai on Friday evening, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) handed her over to the Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Sunday.

    After bringing the activist to Ahmedabad, the sleuths got her medical checkup done at Civil Hospital. Talking to media Setalvad alleged that the ATS sleuths assaulted her. “They have done my medical. I have a big bruise on my hand, this is what the ATS did to me. They are taking me to the magistrate’s court. I’m not guilty. I will tell everything in court,” she said.

    DCP (Crime Division) Chaitanya Mandlik IPS, meanwhile, said his department registered the FIR offense after the Supreme Court’s June 24 ruling. The top court had dismissed the plea by Zakia Ehsan Jafri against the SIT’s closure report.

  • Plea in SC for SIT probe into violent protests against Agnipath scheme, damage to properties

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the damage to public properties including that of railways and violent protests against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme.

    The PIL has been filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, who also sought directions to the Centre and Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan governments to submit a status report on the violent protests.

    Tiwari in his plea also sought a direction to set up an expert committee under the chairmanship of retired apex court judge to examine the scheme and its impact on national security and Army.

    He further sought directions to the Centre and the states arrayed as parties to appoint claim commissioners under the guidelines laid down by the apex court in its verdict of 2009 passed in a suo motu case initiated after incidents of damages to public properties.

    “The petitioner through this present Public Interest Litigation (Civil) under Article 32 of the Constitution of India would like to bring to the court’s attention the devastated condition of the country resulting from the Agnipath scheme launched by the Respondent No. 1 (Union of India) through its Ministry of Defence,” the plea said.

    It said that the consequence has been far-reaching for the citizens of this country resulting in intensified vandalism and protest leading to severe destruction of public property and goods.

    “The country is yet again witnessing another such societal upset and fatal condition due to the recent launch of the Agnipath scheme dated June 14, 2022 by the Respondent No.1 through its Ministry of Defence. The Agnipath scheme was designed for the recruitment of young personnel in the all three armed forces divisions. It is a scheme which entails a recruitment process for individuals with ranks below that of the officer with the goal of deploying fitter and younger troops on the front lines which will be based on a four year contract,” it said.

    ALSO READ | Agnipath: All you need to know about Army recruitment scheme that has India on the boil

    The plea said that since the launch of the scheme, the country is facing severe and uncontrolled mass violence and protests against the scheme.

    “The concern which rises through this scheme is primarily the length of service that is 4 years is not reasonable and there remains no pension benefits. The defence aspirants during their protests have alleged that this Agnipath scheme leads to a road of uncertainty for soldiers who will have to leave the services after 4 years. After the completion of the 4 years contract, 25 percent of the total force will be retained and the rest of the personnel will have to leave which puts a serious uncertainty on their future,” it said.

    It added that along with no job security and protection, there will be no pension benefits including the disability pension, the soldiers will get a lump sum of a little more than Rs 11 lakh when they end their fourth tenure.

    “As opined by various experienced military veterans, this scheme of contractual fixed recruitment could compromise on training, morale and commitment in comparison to the permanent recruits. Such experimental radical change in the structure and pattern of the military can lead to severe strategic uncertainties which could compromise the national security of the country,” it said.

    The petition said that this issue have led to severe protest in various parts of the country and as the agitation intensified in Bihar on June 17, the angry aspirants of Army has set fire to at least 20 bogies of the New Delhi-Bhagalpur Vikramshila Express and New Delhi-Darbhanga Bihar Sampark Kranti Express at Lakhisarai and Samastipur stations and blocked several highways of the state.

    “The intensity of such protest has been hard-hitting as the consequence has resulted in Eastern Central Railway has cancelled 164 trains, the official reports have also confirmed that a large number of passengers were seen stranded on the different railway stations including Patna Junction, people are also standing in bus terminals waiting for buses as the highways are also blocked due to the protest,” the plea said.

  • Stark collaboration between political class, bureaucracy, others during 2002 Gujarat riots: Zakia Jafri to SC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: There was a “stark collaboration” between the political class, bureaucracy, investigators and others during the 2002 Gujarat riots after the “national tragedy” of Sabarmati Express incident at Godhra and the SIT did not investigate these aspects, Zakia Jafri told the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

    The apex court asked Zakia Jafri’s counsel Kapil Sibal as to whether he was attributing motives to the SIT and said the term ‘collaboration’ is a very strong term for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the top court.

    A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar said the same SIT had filed charge sheets in the riots cases in which accused were convicted.

    Zakia Jafri, the wife of slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri who was killed at Gulberg society in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002 during the violence, has challenged the SIT’s clean chit to 64 people including Narendra Modi, the then Gujarat chief minister during the riots.

    The S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was burnt at Godhra killing 59 people and triggering riots in Gujarat in 2002.

    Sibal told the bench that there are “glaring instances of collaboration” which are borne out from records but the SIT did not investigate on the alleged larger conspiracy in the riots.

    “So far as your grievance about collaboration of local police at the ground level, we can understand that and we will look into it. How can you say that about the SIT which was appointed by the court,” the bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar, asked Sibal.

    The bench asked Sibal whether the petitioner is “attacking” the manner of investigation done by the SIT.

    The senior advocate said, “Yes. That is something which troubles me.”

    The bench then observed, “How can you attribute motives to the SIT? It is the same SIT which filed charge sheets and people were convicted. No such grievance was made in such cases and you appreciated the work done by the SIT in those cases.”

    “The expression ‘collaboration’ is a very strong term for an SIT constituted by this court.”

    Sibal said grievances were raised also in the cases where charge sheets were filed and the records show collaboration of the state machinery.

    “I will demonstrate that after that national tragedy on Sabarmati Express, what happened was that instead of investigating the perpetrators of the crime, the investigators actually became collaborators to the crime. It is not that the entire police machinery was collaborating,” Sibal said.

    “There are glaring instances of collaboration that is borne out from the records. The bureaucracy, political class, VHP, RSS and others became collaborators. There was stark collaboration,” he told the bench.

    The SIT had the knowledge of a sting operation, which was used in another riots case in which accused were convicted, but they did not probe those people, Sibal said and asked whether the SIT was saving those persons.

    “You can pitch your arguments that these were to be done by the SIT, but it was not done. May be, there was error of judgment and this will have to be explained,” the bench said Sibal said that those, who were accused and were ex-facie involved in criminal offences, were not prosecuted.

    He said officers who did their duty were prosecuted and those who “collaborated” were rewarded.

    The senior advocate said relevant materials were not investigated and placed before the court by the SIT.

    “There was collaboration in the violence. No court, no democracy can countenance it. Otherwise, a message will go that we can do anything and nothing will happen to us,” he said.

    Sibal said that no person has been sought to be prosecuted for hate speeches at that time.

    “What becomes the ultimate victim in this case is the justice,” he said, adding, “This is the failure of the system”.

    The day-long arguments in the matter remained inconclusive and would continue on Wednesday.

    Sibal had earlier argued that Zakia Jafri’s complaint of 2006 alleging larger conspiracy in the riots was not investigated by the SIT.

    Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the SIT, had earlier told the apex court that Zakia Jafri’s complaint alleging larger conspiracy was thoroughly examined after which the SIT came to the conclusion that there was no material to take it forward.

    Ehsan Jafri, the former MP, was among the 68 people killed in the violence, a day after the Godhra train incident.

    Sibal had argued that Zakia Jafri’s complaint was that there was “a larger conspiracy where there was bureaucratic inaction, police complicity, hate speeches and unleashing of violence”.

    On February 8, 2012, the SIT had filed a closure report giving a clean chit to Modi, now the Prime Minister, and 63 others including senior government officials, saying there was “no prosecutable evidence” against them.

    Zakia Jafri had filed a petition in the apex court in 2018 challenging the Gujarat High Court’s October 5, 2017 order rejecting her plea against the SIT decision.

    The plea also maintained that after the SIT gave a clean chit in its closure report before a trial judge, Zakia Jafri filed a protest petition which was dismissed by the magistrate without considering “substantiated merits”.

    It also said the high court “failed to appreciate” the petitioner’s complaint which was independent of the Gulberg Society case registered at a police station in Ahmedabad.

    The high court in its October 2017 order had said the SIT probe was monitored by the Supreme Court.

    However, it partly allowed Zakia Jafri’s petition as far as its demand for a further investigation was concerned.

    It had said the petitioner can approach an appropriate forum, including the magistrate’s court, a division bench of the high court, or the Supreme Court seeking further investigation.

  • Post-poll violence: HC unhappy as Bengal government lawyer has no information on compliance of compensation order

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Monday expressed displeasure at the West Bengal government’s lawyer having no information on compliance of its order to the administration to pay compensation to victims of post-poll violence, observing that it displays a “total casual attitude in a serious matter.”

    The CBI and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the West Bengal Police submitted separate status reports before the court on the progress of investigation in cases of post-poll violence in the state as per an order of a five-judge bench on August 19.

    A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj noted that the counsel appearing for the state does not have any information on compliance with a direction by the five-judge bench that ordered the West Bengal government to take immediate action to pay compensation to the victims of crime as per the state’s policy.

    The counsel representing the state sought time to inform the court on the issue.

    “This apparently shows total casual attitude in a serious matter,” the bench observed.

    The division bench also noted that Justice Manjula Chellur, retired chief justice of Calcutta High Court, who had been requested by this court to monitor the working of the SIT, had not been taken into confidence in the state government’s decision to spare the services of 10 additional IPS officers to assist the SIT comprising three senior IPS officers of West Bengal cadre.

    The bench further said the report submitted by the SIT does not reflect any request by it to spare the services of the 10 IPS officers and certain other officers to assist it for different zones of the state and the West Bengal government had taken the decision on its own.

    “It further transpires from the report that certain advocates have been appointed as legal advisers to advise on various issues with each of the zonal teams. Even for that purpose, Justice Chellur has not been taken into confidence,” the division bench said.

    The bench said the status report of the CBI states that 40 FIRs have been filed by it so far in connection with post-poll violence cases and charge sheets have been filed in seven cases after investigation.

    A five-judge bench presided by the Acting Chief Justice had on August 19 ordered a CBI investigation into all cases of alleged murder and crime against women regarding rape or attempt to rape in post-poll violence in West Bengal.

    Passing judgment in PILs seeking independent probe in alleged violence in the state following the state assembly elections, the bench had ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising three IPS officers of West Bengal cadre for monitoring probe in all other cases.

    The bench, also comprising justices I P Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen and Subrata Talukdar directed that both the investigations will be monitored by the high court and ordered the CBI and the SIT to submit their status report before it within six weeks from date.

    The bench had ordered the West Bengal government to pay compensation to the victims of crime as per the policy of the state, after due verification and directed that the amount would be directly transferred to their bank accounts.

    It had directed that the matter would be placed for hearing before a division bench on October 4 for further hearing.

    A fact-finding committee into allegations of human rights violations in post-poll violence formed by the NHRC chairman on the order of the high court had on July 13 submitted its final report to the five-judge bench.

  • Muzaffarnagar riots case: UP court acquits 20 people

    By PTI

    MUZAFFARNAGAR: A local court here on Monday acquitted 20 people due to lack of evidence in connection with the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case.

    Additional District Sessions Judge Baburam acquitted them, saying the prosecution failed to provide evidence against them.

    According to the prosecution, the Special Investigation Team (SIT)probing the riots cases had filed a chargesheet against 21 persons under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly burning several houses and looting during the riots at Kutbi village in the district on September 8, 2013.

    One person died during the pendency of the case.

    A total of 98 cases of riots have been decided so far in which 1,137 accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

    Police had registered 510 cases and arrested 1,480 people in connection with the riots.

    After investigation, the SIT filed chargesheets in 175 cases.

    Over 60 people died in the communal clashes and 40,000 were displaced.

  • Fake vaccination: Police forms SIT, BJP demands CBI probe as Trinamool denies link

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The raging controversy over the fake COVID-19 vaccination camps in parts of Kolkata on Friday snowballed into a political storm ensnaring into it several Trinamool Congress leaders, prompting the opposition BJP to demand a CBI probe into a “larger conspiracy” in the case.

    The Kolkata Police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by the joint police commissioner (Crime) to investigate how the main accused Debanjan Deb who, impersonating as an IAS officer, organised COVID-19 vaccination camps where around 2000 people were suspected to have administered fake doses.

    “We have formed an SIT to probe into the matter. Senior officers of the Detective Department are there in the team,” a senior Kolkata police officer told reporters here.

    The incident triggered a political storm after purported photographs and videos of the arrested person along with several TMC leaders and ministers at various programmes came in public domain.

    PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the photographs or videos.

    According to police officials, Deb allegedly had financially duped several people in Kolkata by impersonating as a joint municipal commissioner of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

    On his social media accounts, he had posted several pictures of organising medical camps and participating in government programmes.

    The TMC leadership, however, denied any involvement in the matter.

    “We are politicians and attend several programmes every day. Many people come to us and click pictures. It is not always possible to ascertain their identity. The allegations against our leaders are baseless and politically motivated,” senior TMC leader and minister Firhad Hakim said.

    After its defeat in the assembly polls, the BJP was looking for an issue to corner the TMC government and is quick to grab it and demanded a CBI probe to look into the matter.

    It is a conspiracy of the TMC as it is trying to tarnish the BJP-led Union government with a claim that it has provided fake vaccines, claimed Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the opposition in the state assembly.

    “We apprehend that the West Bengal government and the ruling party have hatched a large conspiracy to implicate the Centre. They are helping people with disputable identity to organise camps where fake jabs were administered to defame the Narendra Modi regime.”

    “If there was any adverse impact on people who were inoculated, the TMC will blame the Centre for providing fake vaccines,” he said.

    Adhikari led a BJP delegation to Swasthya Bhawan, the state health department headquarters, and questioned officials how a person impersonating as an IAS officer has been organising vaccination camps remained off the radar of the police and the department for so long.

    “The fake IAS officer organised several camps and brought busloads of people from other areas. How can it be that he was not caught earlier? Was he being shielded by the ruling party? It is a large conspiracy. Only a probe by a large agency like the CBI can unravel the truth,” he said.

    The ruling TMC dubbed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.

    “If just a photograph proves someone guilty, several BJP leaders should be put behind bars for having being photographed with several scamsters. The police, in this case, arrested the prime accused and will unravel the truth,” senior TMC leader Tapas Ray said.

    Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra said that the organisation of fake COVID-19 vaccination camps by a man pretending to be an IAS officer is an act of a “distorted mind”.

    “What Debanjan has done is very inhuman. It can only be done by one with mental distortion,” Mitra told reporters.

    A PIL was filed before the Calcutta High Court on Friday seeking an investigation into the vaccination fraud by an independent probe agency.

    The police arrested Deb on Wednesday for allegedly posing as an IAS officer and organising a COVID-19 vaccination camp in Kasba, where actor and Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty also got her jab.

    Chakraborty, who was invited to attend the camp, said she became suspicious about the vaccination process as she did not receive the customary SMS sent to people after they were administered a dose and informed the police.

    During a search in Deb’s office, police seized several vials of an antibiotic injection used for many bacterial infections and other items that were sent for tests.

    It was also found that fake labels of Covishield were pasted on the vials of Amikacin injections used for a number of bacterial infections.

    Fake logos, letterheads, and pads of the KMC were also seized from his office.

    On what could be the purpose of Deb in holding such free camps, a senior Kolkata Police official said it is yet to be known, but he might have political connections that helped him in organising those camps.

    The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has started an internal inquiry into the matter and is also spotting people who have taken vaccines from his camps.

    Deb used to travel in a large car with a fake logo of the state government and a personal security officer.