Calcutta HC Directs Police To Hand Over Jha Murder Case To CBI

Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the CBI to take over from police the murder probe of Raju Jha, the alleged operator of a coal syndicate, in West Bengal's Bardhaman district on April 1. 
    
Jha was gunned down by two assailants inside his SUV on NH-19 in Shaktigarh. 
    
Justice Rajasekhar Mantha directed the CBI to probe the case within four months. 
    
The court took on record a CBI report which said the petitioner, Narendra Kharka, is a charge-sheeted accused in a coal scam case being investigated by the agency. 
    
The report also said Rajesh Kumar Jha, alias Raju Jha, was not an accused in any case being probed by the agency and was allegedly operating a coal syndicate between 2015 and 2020. 
    
The court also noted the CBI report which said that one of the persons who escaped the attack was Abdul Latif, an accused in a cattle smuggling case being probed by the agency. 
    
The counsel for the West Bengal government submitted that police had made substantial progress in the probe and were on the verge of wrapping up the case.   
    
Justice Mantha observed there is some merit in the submissions of the CBI that the FIR registered by Shaktigarh police station on April 1 "is vitally linked to the existing investigations being conducted by the CBI in the coal and cattle scams." Kharka had moved court after one of his employees was taken into custody by police in connection with Jha’s murder and was allegedly tortured in custody.