Wife claims Bogtui violence accused murdered by CBI officials, files complaint

Kolkata: A day after Bogtui violence-accused Lalan Sheikh died in CBI custody in Bengal's Birbhum district, his wife claimed on Tuesday that he was "murdered" by agency officials, who had earlier demanded Rs 50 lakh to clear his name in the case.

Reshma Bibi on Tuesday morning filed a complaint at Rampurhat Police Station, alleging that the CBI officials had threatened to kill Sheikh during their visit with him to Bogtui village as part of the investigation process.

The central agency, which is probing the Bogtui arson and violence that had in March left at least 10 people dead, rubbished the allegation as "baseless".

Sheikh, a prime accused in Bogtui violence, was "found hanging" on Monday in the washroom of a temporary CBI office set up in a guest house in Rampurhat, with CBI officials claiming that he died by suicide and his family alleging that his death resulted from torture.

Some of the family members along with villagers had been staging a sit-in outside the agency's office, holding ‘Go Back CBI’ placards.

The Birbhum district police have already started a probe into the custodial death.

Sheikh’s inconsolable wife, talking to reporters, said, "My husband has been murdered by CBI officers. He could not have died by suicide. The officers who came to our house along with Lalan on Monday afternoon had asked for Rs 50 lakh to clear his name. They had also beaten me up at that time." She also stated that CBI officers had on Monday afternoon given her a call to inform about Sheikh's death, besides threatening her and her son of the same consequences.

The CBI, however, rebuffed the allegations as "baseless and bereft of truth".

A senior CBI official, however, said that any of the agency sleuths, if found guilty of lapses during the inquiry into the case, will have to face strict action.

"We are here to investigate. Nobody in our team asks for money from anybody. Such allegations are absolutely baseless," the CBI officer added.