New Delhi: In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said the CBI has so far registered 51 cases in connection with the post-poll violence in West Bengal and filed charge sheets against 100 people in 20 cases within four months of the probe.
The Calcutta High Court had ordered the agency to investigate rape, attempt to rape and murder cases reported from West Bengal during the election process.
“The CBI has registered only cases meeting these criteria which are in progress. As of January 1, 2022, CBI has registered 51 cases, filed chargesheets in 20 cases in almost four months. More than 100 people have been booked. Chargesheet has been done, CBI spokesperson RC Joshi said.
He insisted that none of the cases meeting the criteria laid down by the Calcutta High Court and referred by the NHRC have been closed.
“Out of 29 complaints of sexual offenses referred by the NHRC, the CBI has registered seven regular cases and the rest are being processed legally,” Joshi said.
The two cases referred by the NHRC were referred by the agency to the State Special Investigation Team constituted by the Calcutta High Court, the agency said.
“It may be said that the Calcutta High Court on August 19, 2021 ordered the CBI to investigate the incidents relating to murder, rape and attempt to rape. As such, the CBI has registered only cases that meet these criteria. which are in progress,” said CBI spokesperson RC Joshi.
“It is clarified that the CBI had received 29 complaints of sexual offenses from NHRC till December 22, 2021. Out of these, two cases have been decided by the CBI to be handed over to the State SIT depending on the nature of the offences. In line with the mandate given in the orders of the Calcutta High Court,” Joshi said.
Joshi said the state police has referred 64 incidents to the CBI to take forward the High Court order.
“Out of this, 39 offenses were taken over by the CBI by registering regular cases, four references are under process, while 21 references were returned to the State Police/SIT depending on the nature of the crime, as the CBI has been mandated. Orders of August 19, 2021 of the Calcutta High Court to investigate cases of post-election violence of murder, rape and attempt to rape,” he said.
Joshi said that at the time of submission of the status report before the High Court on December 22, 2021, the CBI had registered 50 regular cases and one preliminary inquiry into incidents of post-poll violence.
“Till the submission of the status report, CBI had submitted charge sheets in 10 cases while remaining cases are in progress,” he said.
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