Subhechcha Ganguly 
The CBI joint director was instructed by Justice Amrita Sinha to look into the claim by July 5 and present a report before the court on July 7, when the matter would be heard again.On Wednesday, the Calcutta High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look into claims that a returning officer in the Howrah district tampered with paperwork and gave false information in connection with the West Bengal panchayat elections on July 8.The CBI joint director was instructed by Justice Amrita Sinha to look into the claim by July 5 and present a report to the court on July 7, when the case would be heard again.
According to the petitioners’ attorney Sabyasachi Chatterjee, despite both candidates’ belonging to the Other Backward Class-A category and possessing valid certificates, they were included as Scheduled Castes-W in the panchayat election paperwork because the poll was still pending.The petitioners asked for an independent agency to look into the accusation of tampering.
Since the officer who is the target of the complaint works for state authorities and is in charge of conducting the election honestly, the high court noted that the state and the State Election Commission’s (SEC) argument could not be accepted.The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) criticised the high court’s decision as unfair while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) praised it.
