CISF Firing In Sitalkuchi, Cooch Bihar: WB-CID Submits Interim Status Report Before Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday took on record the interim status report filed by West Bengal's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on the investigation into the alleged firing by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel on April 10, 2021 at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district during the West Bengal assembly polls which claimed the lives of four persons. 

The sealed report was submitted before a Bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj on Thursday. The Bench fixed the matter for further hearing on January 12, 2022 and directed the CID to continue its probe in the meantime. 

In the report filed by district detective inspector of Cooch Behar, it was stated that investigation is pending for re-examination of six CISF personnel. It has also been stipulated that the CISF personnel have requested that they be summoned for hearing through the virtual mode in view of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.

On the previous date of hearing, the High Court had directed the CIF to file a report on the progress of the investigation while adjudicating upon a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition alleging that the incident was a result of police firing in the course of electioneering. As a result, an independent probe into the matter was sought. 

About the incident 

As reported in the media, four villagers of Jor Patki village in Sitalkuchi were killed in the firing of the central forces in West Bengal and one person was killed by some unknown miscreants while coming out after casting vote.

The CISF personnel had opened fire after they allegedly came under attack from a group of villagers at 126/5 in Jorpatki in Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency where polling was underway for the fourth phase of West Bengal election 2021 on April 10. West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took over the case on April 16. 

The Election Commission has already given a clean chit to the CISF for opening fire in Sitalkurchi Assembly constituency in Cooch Behar, saying that opening fire "became necessary to save the lives of the voters" and it was made in "self-defense".

Further, the Commission had also canceled the voting at the polling station after the incident and imposed a ban on entry of politicians into Cooch Behar for 72 hours apprehending trouble.

Case Title: Aminuddin Khan v. Union of India and other connected matters