A central government lawyer on Monday told Calcutta High Court that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has filed a suo motu case to probe into the death of Bara Lalon Sheikh in CBI custody.

Bara Lalon, a prime accused in the March 21 Bogtui carnage that claimed 10 lives, was arrested by the CBI earlier this month. He was found hanging in the bathroom of the central investigative agency’s camp office in Rampurhat on the evening of December 12. The CBI had claimed that the accused took his own life but Bara Lalon’s wife Reshma Biwi and other family members had alleged torture and murder.

Dhiraj Trivedi, the lawyer representing the Centre, told the division bench headed by high court Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava that the representatives of the human rights panel were likely to start a probe into the death of Bara Lalon in a couple of days.

Trivedi informed the high court of this development while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) moved by advocate Sabyasachi Chatterjee.

Chatterjee had been demanding the quashing of the probe by the state investigative agency CID against seven CBI officers after a complaint against them by Bara Lalon’s wife Reshma.

Chatterjee also said that the CBI probe into the Bogtui carnage was getting hampered in the ongoing tussle between the state and central investigative agencies.

“The CID should not be allowed to continue.... The court may order fresh investigation into the death (of Bara Lalon) by any other independent agency... or ask the CBI to investigate under the supervision of a sitting judge,” Chatterjee said.

The state lawyer, however, strongly opposed the plea.

At the end of the hearing, the court adjourned its verdict.