Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday took over a probe into the Sitalkuchi firing case in Cooch Behar that left four people dead on Apr 10, officials said.
Sources in the state investigation department said that CID investigators will visit the scene, examine the accessed footage of the incident and quiz eyewitnesses soon to know exactly what happened on Apr 10 morning outside polling booth no. 126 in Sitalkuchi AC that forced the CISF jawans to open fire.
Meanwhile, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice, while hearing two Public Interest Litigations (PIL) demanding a neutral probe into the incident and ex-gratia for the deceased's families, on Friday directed the CID to submit an investigation status report before the court by May 5.
Earlier on Apr 10, the CISF opened fire outside a polling station in Sitalkuchi after a local mob had reportedly attacked the polling booth and tried to snatch jawans' rifles.
Four locals, who were claimed to be TMC supporters, died in the firing.
Based on the reports filed by Cooch Behar DM and SP, DIG of Jalpaiguri Range and Special Police Observer Vivek Dube, the Election Commission already clarified that the Central force had fired bullets 'purely in self-defense'.
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