Kolkata: A five-member bench of the Calcutta High Court Thursday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the serious cases of murders, sexual assault on women and allegations of rapes during the violence that took place immediately after the results of West Bengal assembly elections were declared on May 2.


The bench, led by acting chief justice Rajesh Bindal, also formed a special investigation team (SIT), to look into other cases related to the post-poll violence across the state. The investigation will be monitored by the court.


Both agencies have been told to submit their reports in six weeks.


In its order, the HC named three IPS officers serving in Bengal as members of the SIT. They are Suman Bala Sahoo, Soumen Mitra and Ranveer Kumar. 


The cases they are going to probe included those of grievous hurt or incapacitation, arson, vandalism, damage to property, threats and criminal intimidation.  


A retired judge of the Supreme Court will oversee the SIT’s work, for which a separate order will be passed later, the court said. 


The SIT will be headed by Sahoo, the senior-most among the three who is a Director General of Police-rank officer. Mitra, an Additional Director General-rank officer, is currently the commissioner of Kolkata Police. Kumar is also an ADG-rank officer.


According to the court order, the SIT has to probe 388 FIRs for grievous hurt or incapacitation, 609 FIRs for arson, vandalism and loot, and 130 FIRs for intimidation — a large part of them against the ruling Trinamool Congress. 


Here is a detailed look at the three officers tasked with the big investigation:


Suman Bala Sahoo


The 1987-batch IPS officer is the DGP, Telecommunication, and is the only woman IPS officer to hold such a rank in West Bengal at present.


Formerly the joint director of CBI’s Kolkata unit from 2010 to 2015, Sahoo has had a long stint in investigating agencies, and her career has remained uncontroversial. 


Before joining the CBI, Sahoo was a deputy commissioner in the Kolkata Police’s detective department and also worked in the CID as a special superintendent. 


While she took up central deputation in 2010, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had called her back after winning the state elections for the first time in 2011, according to reports. Sahoo, however, returned to her home cadre only after completing her five-year term in the CBI. 


She was then appointed as ADG, Welfare, and later promoted as DG, Welfare.  


Soumen Mitra 


Mitra was recently appointed as the Kolkata Police Commissioner, for the second time in his career. Prior to this, Mitra was ADG, Training, from May 2016 to February 2021. 


Mitra had also served as DC, Detective Department, Kolkata Police, and IG, CID, for several years. 


During the 2016 assembly elections, the Election Commission of India had removed the then Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar, who had allegations of corruption and political motivation against him, and posted Mitra in his place. 


He was, however, removed from the post the same year after Mamata Banerjee returned to power and reinstated Rajeev Kumar. 


In February 2021, Banerjee designated Mitra the commissioner again. He was also among the three IPS officers who were awarded with the Chief Minister’s Police Medal for Outstanding Service on August 15 this year.


Ranveer Kumar 


A 1990-batch IPS officer, Kumar is now ADG, Administration, West Bengal Police Directorate. 


He has earlier served as the Inspector General of Police, North Bengal; ADG-Prisons, and ADG, Armed Police.