WB Post Poll Violence: ASG Seeks Retraction Of ToI Report Stating That CBI Found No Evidence In 21 Rape Cases

Additional Solicitor General for the Calcutta High Court YJ Dastoor has written a letter to the Editor of the Times of India, seeking retraction of its news report claiming that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had found no evidence in 21 rape cases filed in the aftermath of post-poll violence in West Bengal.

He referred to the print and web version of a Times of India report dated January 4, 2022 which stipulated that the CBI on Monday informed the Calcutta High Court that it had found no evidence in the 21 rape cases cited by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in its report on post poll violence in the State.

"The proceedings in the post-poll violence matters, which were taken up for hearing by the Hon'ble High Court at Calcutta on January 3, 2022, have been reported in The Times of India, Calcutta Edition dated January 4, 2022 and in your web edition dated 4.1.2022 respectively. Unfortunately, the said reports contain not an iota of truth with regard to the statements allegedly made on behalf of the C.B.I. None of the statements as reported in the aforesaid two articles were made on behalf of the C.B.I. in the hearing yesterday", the letter averred. 

Accordingly, the ASG sought a retraction of the newspaper report and further called for an apology to be issued. 

"In fact, the headlines and the facts and figures mentioned in your said report are absolutely untrue. It is a cause of great concern that such false reports in a sensitive matter have been published by a newspaper of such repute. It would be in the fitness of things to immediately publish a retraction as to the authenticity of the facts contained in the said reports, as published by you, as also to publicly apologize for the same", the ASG further stated. 

Clarifying the progress of investigation made, the CBI also issued a press release to this effect which stated the following, 

"CBI had received 29 number of complaints of sexual assault from NHRC related to sexual offences till December 22, 2021. Out of these, 2 cases have been decided by CBI for handing over to State SIT on the grounds of nature of offences, inline with the mandate given in the orders of the Calcutta High Court. Further, two complaints relating to same incident of sexual assault were received by CBI which were amalgamated, resulting in registration of only one regular case for investigation. Remaining cases are under progress. It may also be mentioned that State Police had referred 64 number of incidents to CBI in furtherance of High Court order. Out of it, 39 number of offences were taken over by CBI by registering regular cases, 4 references are under process while 21 number of references were returned to State Police/SIT on the ground of nature of offence, as CBI has been mandated in the order of the Calcutta High Court dated August 19, 2021 to investigate post-poll violence cases of murder, rape and attempt to rape". 

On Monday, the ASG had apprised a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava that a total of 52 cases had been registered by the CBI out of which 2 cases had been handed over to the SIT. Furthermore, the ASG had submitted that in 10 cases inquiry had been completed and charge sheets had been filed whereas 38 cases are still under investigation. Accordingly, the Court had directed the CBI to file an additional status report with respect to the remaining cases under investigation on the next date of hearing which is slated to take place on January 24.