CBI summons Bengal minister in post-poll violence case

Kolkata, Jun 27, 2022, IANS

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the different post-poll violence cases in West Bengal, has summoned the state's MSME & Textiles Department Minister, Chandranath Sinha in connection with one of the cases.

CBI sleuths has asked Sinha to be present at the agency camp office in Durgapur on June 28 (Tuesday).

He was summoned in connection with the murder of a local BJP worker in Birbhum district. Gourab Sarkar was murdered at Illambazar in the same district on May 2, 2021, soon after the results for the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections were announced.

Chandranath Sinha is considered to be close to Trinamool Congress strongman and the party's district president in Birbhum, Anubrata Mandal, who is also under the scanner of CBI in the same case.

Mandal has already faced a round of questioning by the CBI sleuths at the agency's office at Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata.

Besides, the post-polls violence case, Mandal is also under CBI scanner for his alleged involvement in the cattle and coal smuggling cases in West Bengal.

The CBI is conducting the probe on the post- poll violence cases in West Bengal following an order of the Calcutta High Court on this count.

The CBI has already questioned several persons in connection with the murder of Gourab Sarkar, especially those who contacted Mandal soon after the murder took place.

Three Trinamool Congress MLAs namely Abhijit Singha from Labhpur constituency, Sekh Sahanawaz Jahan from Ketugram and Abhijit Roy from Manteshwar were among those who were questioned in this connection.

According to CBI sources, after the questioning of all suspects on this count are completed, they will corroborate their statements with that of Anubrata Mandal.