"Hindus were punished for Mamata's loss in Bengal": CBI to Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) has informed the Supreme Court that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's polling agent S K Supian had masterminded attacks on the Hindu community in order to "teach them a lesson" for not voting for Banerjee in last year's elections.

In its affidavit opposing the pre-arrest bail plea of Supian, in connection with the alleged murder of a BJP supporter after the results were declared, the CBI officials alleged that Supian had hatched a "criminal conspiracy" to persecute the Hindu community in light of their perceived support of Banerjee's opponent BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari.

Supian was not cooperating with investigators and had evaded at least 10 notices sent to him, the CBI alleged. He had sought "political revenge from a section of society that refused to toe the line and refused to follow the voting pattern in accordance with his political ideology and allegiance and did not vote for his party in the assembly elections," the affidavit reads.

"While commissioning the said offence, the petitioner not only organised, instigated and mobilised the crowd comprising of co-accused but also led them to riot, murder and inflict grievous physical injuries on the section of society which did not vote as per his diktats and voted for other parties, due to which the candidate (Banerjee), of whom the petitioner was an election agent, lost the election," said the affidavit.

Supian is accused of having led the post-poll violence in the village of Chillagram on May 3, 2021, where a BJP worker identified as Debabrata Maity was murdered, according to eyewitness accounts.

The BJP alleged widespread post-poll violence after the results of the assembly elections were declared on May 2. The high court in June asked the National Human Rights Commission to form a seven-member committee to look into the matter. The panel submitted its final report on July 13, recommending a CBI probe, and that trials be held outside the state.

The CBI took over the investigation in August last year following a Calcutta high court order, relevant documents were gathered, seized and several eye-witnesses to the alleged incident were gathered.

Supian's bail plea was rejected by the high court in November for which he has issued an appeal in the Supreme Court. The agency requested the top court not to show any indulgence to Supian because his custodial interrogation is imperative to "unearth a wider and larger conspiracy of planned political rioting and revenge."

Last week, the bench granted interim protection from arrest to Supian till the next date of hearing.