Calcutta HC Dissatisfied with SIT Report, Orders All Investigation Materials in Sealed Cover by August 6
A Calcutta High Court Division Bench found SIT interrogations insufficient and directed all collected materials to be placed before it in a sealed cover on the next date.
A Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, on 25 June 2026 expressed clear dissatisfaction with the progress of a Special Investigation Team inquiry that the court itself had directed. The Bench found that interrogations conducted by the SIT, following the relief of an earlier Investigating Officer, fell short of what had been expected. It ordered that all materials collected by the SIT be placed before the court in a sealed cover on the next date of hearing, fixed for August 6, 2026, at 2 pm, when the Case Diary must also be produced.
Court-Monitored SIT Inquiry Running Since October 2024
The writ petition, X & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors. (WPA 30365 of 2024), has been before the court since at least October 2024. The Division Bench had previously directed the SIT to conduct the investigation after relieving the earlier Investigating Officer. The areas of focus for the inquiry were set out in an earlier order dated May 21, 2026.
On 25 June 2026, the SIT's status report was taken on record. The Bench noted that some interrogations had been carried out in terms of its earlier directions, but assessed them as insufficient. The court's position was direct: the investigation, having been redirected to the SIT with specific focus areas already identified, “should have been taken to its logical conclusion.”
The CBI was represented by Senior Advocate Mr. Rajdeep Majumdar, along with Mr. Amajit De and Ms. Arushi Rathore. The Union of India was represented by Mr. Indrajeet Dasgupta and Mr. Gourab Maiti. The petitioners were represented by Senior Advocate Mr. Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee, along with Mr. Sirsendu Sinha Roy, Mr. Supreem Naskar, Ms. Jayashree Patra, and Ms. Pritha Sinha.
Bench's Reasoning on Investigation Progress
The Bench's dissatisfaction centred on the gap between what it had directed and what the SIT had actually done. The investigation has been running since October 2024, and the court indicated that the time elapsed made it necessary for the inquiry to reach a definitive stage without further delay. The order stated that the court expected “a final shape to the investigation should be granted forthwith.”
By directing all collected materials to be submitted in a sealed cover, the Bench retained direct oversight of the investigation's substance rather than relying solely on summary status reports. This mechanism allows the court to assess the depth and direction of the inquiry independently.
The order also clarified that it would not prevent the SIT from submitting its report under the applicable provisions of law before the jurisdictional court. This carve-out preserves the SIT's statutory obligations while keeping the court's supervisory role intact.
Directions and Next Date
The matter is listed for August 6, 2026, at 2 pm before Court No. 12. On that date, the Case Diary is to be produced before the Bench. All materials collected by the SIT are to be submitted in a sealed cover. Parties were directed to act on the basis of the server copy of the order.
Outcome
The Division Bench recorded its dissatisfaction with the SIT's status report, found the interrogations conducted to be insufficient, and directed production of the Case Diary and all investigation materials in a sealed cover on August 6, 2026. The SIT's ability to file a report before the jurisdictional court under applicable law remains unaffected by this order.