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Calcutta High Court on Thursday rapped Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government citing allegations of extortion, land grab, and sexual assault emerging out of Sandeshkhali. The accused in the Sandeshkhali case, now-suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
According to an NDTV report, Calcutta High Court bench led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, told CM Mamata Banerjee‘s government that it could not evade accountability in the case. Accusations also flew that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) run West Bengal government had sought to protect Sandeshkhali accused Shahjahan Sheikh, a local influential TMC leader.
The Calcutta HC was hearing affidavits seeking probes into the Sandeshkhali accusation. During the hearing Calcutta HC said, “Even if one affidavit is correct, it is shameful. Even if one per cent is true it is absolutely shameful. West Bengal says it is safest for women? Even if one affidavit is proven to be right all of this falls,” Justice Sivagnanam said, “Entire district administration and ruling party have 100 per cent moral responsibility”.
Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sivagnanam also ripped into the lawyer representing Shahjahan Sheikh and said, “(55) days you were on the run… playing hide-and-seek. Then you took an obscure stance. (Just because) you close your eyes the world doesn’t become dark”.
After allegedly evading capture for nearly two months, the suspended TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh was apprehended by the West Bengal Police on 29 February.
The women of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district have accused Shahjahan and his aides of grave excesses and atrocities. Multiple women on the island accused Shahjahan and his aides of “land-grab and sexual assault” under coercion.
In earlier hearings the court held Bengal Police to be “totally biased” and called for a “fair, honest, and complete investigation” into allegations against Sheikh Shahjahan. “There can be no better case than this… which requires to be transferred (and) to be investigated by the CBI,” it observed.
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Published: 04 Apr 2024, 05:39 PM IST
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