The Calcutta High Court has expressed its dissatisfaction with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), calling its investigations "a gallery show right now". Justice Tirthankar Ghosh made this observation on Monday, August 25, 2025, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a CBI probe into the alleged murder of two individuals in Khejuri, East Midnapore, in July. Instead of handing the investigation over to the CBI, the court directed the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate the case and submit a progress report within a month.

The case involves the deaths of two men, Sudhir Chandra Paik and Sujit Das, who were found dead on July 12 after attending a cultural program in Khejuri. While organizers claimed the deaths were due to electrocution, family members alleged they were murdered for religious reasons, claiming there were multiple injury marks on the bodies. The BJP also alleged that they were killed for "religious reasons". Police reports initially pointed to electrocution as the cause of death.

Conflicting autopsy reports further complicated the matter. The first autopsy, conducted by a district hospital in Tamluk, attributed the deaths to electrocution. However, a second autopsy at SSKM Hospital indicated assault as a possible cause of death due to the presence of bruise marks on the body. This discrepancy led the court to question the differing opinions of the doctors and the potential for misleading the investigation.

Sasanka, the father of one of the deceased, filed a petition seeking a fresh autopsy and a CBI probe, stating that the family lacked faith in the local police. His counsel argued that a fair trial could not commence without a proper investigation. However, Justice Ghosh rejected the plea for a CBI investigation, stating his lack of trust in the agency and the concern that it would merely become a "gallery show".

Instead, Justice Ghosh ordered the case to be transferred from the local police station to the CID. He directed the CID Additional Director-General to form a special investigation team (SIT) headed by a Deputy Inspector-General, including officers from the CID's homicide section. The court has requested a progress report on the investigation within one month.

Advocate General Kishore Dutta, representing the state, opposed the plea for a CBI investigation. He pointed out the inconsistencies between the two post-mortem reports, particularly in the case of Sujit Das. Justice Ghosh acknowledged the contradictory post-mortem reports and emphasized the need for a thorough investigation to clarify the cause of death. He cautioned that if the court's concerns were not addressed after the investigation, it would reconsider the case.

This is not the first time the Calcutta High Court has dealt with the issue of CBI investigations. In October 2024, the court ordered a CBI probe into the alleged custodial torture of two women who were arrested for protesting the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. The court cited the need for an impartial and independent inquiry due to the involvement of police authorities.