Opposition parties on Friday welcomed the high court order for CBI investigation into the violence that claimed eight lives in Bengal's Birbhum district earlier this week, alleging that the state police, acting on the behest of the TMC government, was trying to hush up the matter. The ruling TMC, cautious in its response, said all cooperation would be extended to the CBI.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered a CBI investigation into Birbhum violence stating that the decision was taken in the interest of justice. The court directed an SIT formed by the Bengal government to hand over all probe-related papers and the accused persons arrested by it to the central agency.

"We welcome the court's decision. Only a CBI probe can bring out the truth as the police, acting as agents of the ruling party, were trying to suppress the matter," state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar said.

Echoing him, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said his party was hopeful that the CBI would carry out a fair probe. "We wanted a court-monitored CBI probe into the Birbhum incident. The state government had been trying to shield the culprits," he claimed.

The ruling TMC, however, said the state government, so far, had been doing its bit to unravel the truth. "The court has given an order and we will abide by it. All cooperation will be extended to the CBI. The state government had taken enough action to probe the matter so far. Several arrests have also been made. It is for the CBI to look into the case now," TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said

A team of officials from CBI's Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) division on Friday visited the gutted houses of Bogtui village in West Bengal's Birbhum district, where eight people were burned alive in the suspected fallout of a TMC panchayat official's murder, and collected samples for examination.

The team, comprising eight members, was assisted by police personnel during the visit. The CFSL officials, however, refused to divulge any detail.

"We are here to collect evidence. We cannot talk much on the matter," one of the officials told PTI.