KOLKATA: The prime accused in Birbhum’s Bogtui massacre, in which 12 persons, including two children, were charred to death, was found dead in the CBI’s custody under mysterious circumstances on Monday.
The CBI sources said that Lalan Sheikh (50) was found hanging inside the toilet adjoining to the room where he was lodged in the CBI’s camp office in Rampurhat. The doctors, who examined the body, are yet to ascertain whether Lalan died by suicide.
On March 21, four houses were set ablaze in Bogtui, which was said to be revenge for the murder of the local deputy chief of a Trinamool Congress-dominated gram panchayat Bhadu Sheikh. Preliminary investigation revealed the massacre was a sequel to a rivalry between two factions within the TMC over the issue of collecting money from illegal sand mining.
Lalan was arrested on December 4. The CBI was handed over the probe by the Calcutta High Court and the central agency arrested a total of 21 accused in connection with the massacre. As the mass killing, the first time since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assumed office in 2011, became a tool of the BJP to raise hue and cry alleging deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the Bengal CM visited the spot and directed the police to arrest the TMC’s local block president Anarul Hossain.
Police arrested Hossain, who was at large for days, within three hours of Mamata’s instruction. Meanwhile, the CBI has asked the NHRC to conduct an inquiry into the death of Lalan.