Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates have been accused of sexual atrocities on women in Sandeshkhali.
Kolkata:
Police said the main accused in the Sandeshkhali case, Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, has been arrested. The leader and his associates have been accused of sexually assaulting women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali.
Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested by a special Bengal police team in North 24 Parganas district around midnight. He was absconding for 55 days. After his arrest he was taken to Basirhat court.
Officials said that before the arrest the team was keeping an eye on the activities of the leader for several days.
The arrest comes three days after the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court ordered Sheikh Shahjahan to be linked to the Sandeshkhali case.
On February 26, a Calcutta HC judge asked for a notice to be issued in the case and said, “There is no reason not to arrest him.”
The court said, “Public notice will be given in this case. There is no stay order in Sandeshkhali cases. There is no reason for not arresting him.”
Massive protests have been taking place in Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district this month against Trinamool Congress stalwart Shahjahan Shaikh, as a section of women demand justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader.
In Sandeshkhali, a large number of women had accused senior Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Shaikh and his supporters of forcefully grabbing land and sexual harassment. The leader, who was absconding since January 5, has already been implicated in several criminal cases including the murder of 3 BJP workers in 2019.
The Enforcement Directorate has accused Sheikh Shahjahan of money laundering in the ration and land scam. There were also allegations of violence against electricity department employees in West Bengal, resulting in FIRs being filed against them.
The BJP accused the Mamata Banerjee government of protecting Sheikh Shahjahan after a mob of his supporters attacked an Enforcement Directorate team that had gone to conduct a raid against him in a corruption case.
