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After the Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered that the probe into the Birbhum massacre be taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the central agency has filed its FIR in the case naming twenty two people as accused.

The High Court had further pointed out that it was found upon examination of the case diary that the investigation as expected, keeping in view the gravity of the offence, was not done.

As per the FIR, the accused have been charged with committing offences under Sections 147, 148, 149, 325, 326, 307,
302, 435, 436 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code.

These sections relate to rioting, rioting armed with deadly weapons, Unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of
common object, Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons, Attempt to murder, Punishment of murder, Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to the amount of one hundred., etc.

It is stated that the incident occurred on Monday, March 21 at about 9:35 PM.

The FIR states that as a result of the murder of one Bhadu SK (aka Trinamool Congress leader Bahadur Shaikh) of village Bogtui, serious tension cropped up in the area and as a retaliation to the said incident, the accused persons along with 70-80 other people formed an unruly mob and ransacked a few houses and set them on fire with a view to kill the persons inside and their family inmates.

As a result seven persons were charred to death and four others sustained severe burnt injuries on their persons, adds the FIR.

The dead bodies were sent to Rampurhat College and Hospital for post-mortem examination on March 22 after the police and fire brigade could manage to get inside the burnt houses.

The FIR further informs that the identities of the deceased person have not been established as of now.

The Calcutta High Court on March 23 had taken suo moto cognizance of the horrific killing in Rampurhat village in Birbhum district. The bench led by Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava had decided to hear the matter at 2 pm.

Accordingly, the High Court had directed the State of West Bengal to submit a status report/case diary in the incident by 2 PM on March 24.