Says Calcutta High Court, “Arrest Shahjahan Sheikh and Add Him As Respondent In Sandeshkhali Case.”
In a petition filed with the court, the Calcutta High Court on Monday included the primary accused in sexual assault and land grab charges from Sandeshkhali, the absconding leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Shahjahan Sheikh, as a respondent. The high court ruled that Bengal Police may arrest Sheikh without a warrant.
The Chief Justice said, “There is no stay order in Sandeshkhali cases,” in response to Additional Solicitor General Asok Kumar Chakrabarti’s appeal for the court to explain if there was a stay on Shahjahan’s arrest. We make it clear that his arrest is not under stay. A delay of arrest does not equate to a stay of inquiry. He’s been labeled as an accused and a FIR has been filed. Bengal Police must take him into custody.
Since he cannot be located, the court has requested that the register department publish a notice to the public about the development.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose responded to the current developments in the Sandeshkhali dispute by saying, “It is a momentous statement.” It implies that the offender has to be taken into custody and that there is no longer any time for an explanation.
“There is a process of governance and the court has a place in a democracy,” he said. It is something we must honor. In my capacity as governor, I also insist that the arrest must be made right away.
The police filed a new formal report (FIR) against the principal accused and fugitive TMC leader earlier in the day after the receipt of more than seventy complaints.
According to the police officer, the majority of the complainants said that Shajahan was directly responsible for the torture of local women and the forceful seizure of their property. Maity was attacked a few days ago by enraged locals who said he had links to Shajahan and his crew and had sexually assaulted local women in addition to stealing land.
In response, Basirhat SP HM Rehman told news outlet ANI, “We have complaints against him.” We are reviewing the concerns and will respond appropriately. We’ve reported Sheikh Shahjahan in a formal complaint.
Meanwhile, enraged residents of Sandeshkali in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, persisted in their demonstrations and vandalized the homes of prominent TMC members in the area, including Shankar Sardar.
Around 100 kilometers from Kolkata, on the edge of the Sunderbans, the riverine Sandeshkhali locality has been the scene of demonstrations since the first week of February due to claims of sexual abuses and land grabs by TMC officials in the area. Since a mob assault on Enforcement Directorate agents on January 5, when they went to investigate Shahjahan Sheikh’s Sandeshkhali home in connection with a corruption investigation, one of the main suspects has been fleeing the law. Nonetheless, Sheikh’s close allies Shiba Prasad Hajra and Uttam Sardar were taken into custody.
