KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court has ordered to hand over the Birbhum violence case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The case is currently being investigated by the West Bengal police’s special investigation team. The court has asked the team to hand over the probe to the CBI.

The court had taken a suo moto case in the incident on Wednesday. The order was pronounced by a bench comprising of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava, Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj. The case will be heard on April 7. The court has also directed the CBI to submit a status report of the investigation on the day of the hearing.

The court order, transferring the case to the CBI, comes in as a major setback to Mamata Banerjee and the state government. Mamata Banerjee had earlier requested the court not to hand over the probe to the central agency. The court has rejected the demand.

The killings took place on Tuesday, in revenge of the murder of Trinamool Congress leader Bhadu Sheikh. Women and children were beaten up and were burnt alive. Eight people were charred to death as their houses were set on fire in Bogtui village near Rampurhat town of Birbhum district.

If the assailants do not surrender themselves, then they will be hunted down, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. ‘Something big’ is behind the killings, she alleged. The opposition including the BJP is trying to politicize the violence, she added.