The Supreme Court on Friday refused to hear a petition seeking an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the deaths of two workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal’s Purulia district last week, PTI reported. The father of Dulal Kumar, one of the workers who was found dead, had filed the petition.
The court’s vacation bench asked him to approach the Calcutta High Court instead.
Lawyer Gaurav Bhatia, who appeared for the petitioner, said it was a serious matter as the two BJP workers had been allegedly killed weeks after the panchayat elections in the state. The elections were marred with violence, in which 24 people were killed.
BJP President Amit Shah had accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of murdering 20-year-old worker Trilochan Mahato who was found dead on May 30. Mahato was found hanging from a tree with a poster written in Bengali stuck on his T-shirt that read that he was killed for campaigning for the BJP.
Three days later, Dulal Kumar was found hanging from a transmission tower in Purulia district. A government hospital said in an autopsy report that he had committed suicide, but the BJP has challenged the version.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!