The Calcutta High Court on Monday questioned the role of the Investigating Officer (IO) in the alleged murder of two BJP workers in Khejuri on July 12, after call records showed that the officer had made several calls to the first post-mortem doctor both before and after the procedure.

The police, acting on earlier directions of the court, submitted a preliminary report of the call records of the post-mortem doctor from Tamluk Medical College before the division bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Md Shabbar Rashidi. The revelation, the bench said, raised serious concerns.

“Why will the role of the IO not be under suspicion? Why should the IO call the post-mortem doctor so many times?” the court observed.

Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that “the post-mortem doctor has stated that the IO had not called for any specific reason”. The bench, however, asked, “Can you show any proof in this regard?”

Visibly annoyed, the court said, “On what basis is the state saying that there is nothing suspicious?” The state sought more time to file a detailed report. “How much more time do you need?” the bench asked, before granting time till next week.

The court had earlier directed the state to submit call detail records (CDRs) of 17 persons, including the IO, the officer-in-charge of Khejuri police station and the first post-mortem doctor. The next hearing is on Monday, September 15.

The case pertains to the deaths of BJP workers Sudhir Chandra Paik (65) and Sujit Das (23), who were found dead after attending a Muharram cultural programme at Janka in Khejuri on July 12. While the organisers claimed they were electrocuted, their families alleged they were killed for religious reasons.

The initial post-mortem report by Medinipur Medical College cited electrocution as the cause of death. The families, however, moved the High Court, leading to a second post-mortem at SSKM Hospital, which found injury marks on one of the bodies.

“How did the second PM (post-mortem) show signs of torture? After this…the first doctor’s statement was taken. He doesn’t say how there was a difference. Has the CDR of the first doctor been taken? There is a disconnect between the second PM and the conduct of the investigation till the second PM report. It is about instilling the faith of the public in the police,” Justice Basak had earlier remarked.

Last month, the High Court handed over the probe to the state CID. The families have since moved the division bench to seek a CBI investigation.