Kolkata, Aug 1 (IANS) A public interest litigation (PIL) on Saturday was filed at a division bench of the Calcutta High Court seeking change in the investigation agency probing the encounter killing of Pravas Mondal, one of the four accused in the rape and murder of a minor girl at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal last month.
Pravas was taken to the rape and murder spot last month by the investigating officers where he allegedly tried to escape by snatching the firearm of a police officer and also fired a round of bullet aiming at the policemen accompanying him.
One police officer fired gunshots in retaliation in self-defence following which Pravas was killed.
The state government handed over the investigation in the encounter killing to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal, which is currently probing the matter.
However, acclaimed human right activist Sujato Bhadra had filed the PIL at the division bench of the Calcutta High Court’s Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee challenging the probe by the CID in the matter.
Bhadra’s contention is that since both the CID officers probing the case and the officers involved in the encounter process were part of the same police force, questions are bound to be raised on the neutrality aspect in the probe.
Therefore, the petition had sought a change in the investigation agency in case of the probe on encounter killing.
Regarding the PIL, the division bench had said that since the court had already sought a report from the West Bengal government on the encounter in another related case, the next hearing would be held on August 17, the court will take a decision on Bhadra’s petition after receiving that report.
The division bench also said that the state government should also hear the claims made in the PIL before taking a decision on it.
While, Pravas had been killed in encounter, the other three accused in the rape and murder case are currently in judicial custody.
–IANS
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