By IANS
Kolkata : The judicial commission instituted by the West Bengal government to probe the unnatural death of Rizwanur Rahman may be asked to discontinue its investigation now that the case is being handled by the CBI, veteran CPI-M leader Jyoti Basu indicated Friday.
“The matter was discussed at the Left Front meeting. We have made our views clear on the issue. The chief minister (Buddhadeb Bhattacharya) has called a press conference later in the evening to make some important announcements,” Basu told reporters when asked specifically whether the judicial commission would continue its probe.
Though he sidestepped a direct answer, party sources said the government was forced to reverse its decision after several Left Front leaders questioned the utility of continuing with a parallel probe.
Basu said last week he had asked the chief minister why the judicial inquiry was continuing concurrently with the Central Bureau of Investigation probe.
“What will happen if they come out with conflicting reports?” he had asked.
Rizwanur’s brother Rukbanur and his mother Kishwar Jahan had filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court Thursday, seeking an order to set aside the judicial commission appointed by the government on Oct 1.
The petition claimed the judicial commission had no legal validity as a state appointed commission had no authority to interrogate IPS officers.
The petition also stated the judicial commission has no right to conduct the probe since the high court has already asked the CBI to investigate the matter.
Rizwanur, a 30-year-old computer graphics designer, was found dead beside a railway track here with his head smashed on Sep 21, barely a month after marrying Priyanka, daughter of industrialist Ashok Todi.
His gruesome death had sparked widespread protests for justice with common people, students and intellectuals taking to the streets and campaigning for punishment of cops who allegedly intimidated Rizwanur to opt out of the marriage.
The state government removed five police officials- Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee, deputy commissioner (headquarters) Gyanwant Singh, deputy commissioner (detective department) Ajoy Kumar, assistant commissioner of Anti-Rowdy Squad (ARS) Sukanti Chakraborty and sub-inspector Krishnendu Das of the same department – on Oct 17, 26 days after Rizwanur was found dead.