CBI set to take over Bharatpur riots case

The state government had written to the Centre,seeking a CBI probe into the case.

The CBI is all set to take over the probe into the Gopalgarh riots case,in which nine people were killed in clashes between Meo Muslims and Hindus over a land dispute in September.

A CBI team,accompanied by forensics experts,will visit Bharatpur this week to collect the evidence seized by the police,said sources. The state government had written to the Centre,seeking a CBI probe into the case.

The CBI would question the local administration and police officials who were rushed to the spot after the clashes broke out. Locals have alleged that the first casualties of the riots were three Meo Muslims who fell to police bullets.

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We have sought the report of the inquiry carried out after the incident. The officials including district magistrate will be examined, said a CBI official.

The CBI has sought the postmortem reports of all the victims to get them examined independently. It also plans to rope in experts from AIIMS. The Meo mahapanchayat had demanded that autopsies of the deceased be conducted by an independent panel of doctors.

The CBI has also asked for the video footage,which,sources said,shows scores of policemen charging towards the protesting Meo Muslims and a senior official ordering them to open fire.

The local police have registered 25 FIRs in the case so far.