Calcutta High Court on Thursday set up a three-member special investigation team, including two retired IPS officers, to probe into the death of a minor girl in North Dinajpur whose family alleged she was raped and murdered.

On Thursday, Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court said the three-member SIT, comprising Upen Biswas, a former additional director of CBI, Pankaj Dutta, a retired inspector general of police, and Damayanti Sen, a special commissioner of Calcutta Police, would conduct the investigation.

The order comes a day after Justice Mantha ordered an NIA probe into the alleged police firing of Daribhit village in North Dinajpur in 2018 in which two youths died.

“The lawyers appearing for the state may say why the Court is engaging two retired officers in the probe. But, the Court is not at all satisfied with the investigation by the CID...,” Justice Mantha said after forming the SIT.

The judge also said, “There are many flaws in the police investigation. If the post-mortem is done at half past three, then can the inquest be done at half past five? Moreover, nobody from the family was present during the post-mortem.”

On April 21, the girl was found dead in the district. Her family alleged she was raped and murdered.

Police reached the spot to recover her body and had to face irate villagers. Eventually, the police had to “snatch” the body from them and were seen dragging it away for post-mortem.

Such handling of the body triggered outrage. Four assistant sub-inspectors of police were suspended.

The police continued the probe and detained a youth. They made the post-mortem report public that said the 17-year-old girl died of poison.

The girl’s family didn’t buy it and moved high court, seeking a CBI probe. They didn’t cremate her body, burying it instead, so that it could be exhumed for probe.

During the hearing, a petitioner’s counsel sought a fresh post-mortem. The judge said the SIT would decide on it.

The judge said for now, there was no need to send a team from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, as sought by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, as an SIT was formed.

The team, court sources said, was asked to submit a report on June 28.

The girl’s family, when contacted, still insisted on a CBI probe.

Trinamul spokesperson Kunal Ghosh wondered why two retired IPS officers were included in the SIT.

The BJP welcomed the SIT.