Police Playing Hide And Seek: Calcutta HC Orders Bengal CID To Handover Shahjahan Sheikh To CBI

Kolkata: In a significant development, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday issued a contempt notice to the West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID), directing them to transfer the custody of Shahjahan Sheikh, a former Trinamool Congress figure facing allegations of extortion, land grabbing, and sexual assault in Sandeshkhali, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by today.

High Court’s Directive To CID

The Calcutta High Court, expressing dissatisfaction with the state police’s handling of the matter, ordered the transfer of custody to the CBI by 4:30 pm on Wednesday. Describing Sheikh as a prominent political influencer, the court emphasized the need for a thorough investigation by the CBI and directed the custody transfer by 4:15 pm.

Handover of Sandeshkhali accused Shahjahan Sheikh to CBI | Calcutta High Court observes that state police have played hide and seek in the matter. The accused is a highly political influencer. The investigation should be handed over to CBI and the custody of the accused by 4:15… pic.twitter.com/mON31HihnF
— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2024

Despite a previous court order, the West Bengal government had refused to transfer Sheikh’s custody to the CBI. Consequently, a CBI team dispatched to claim his custody departed from Kolkata’s police headquarters without their intended prize on Tuesday, leaving the legal tug-of-war unresolved. This decision prompted the urgent hearing of a plea in the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court’s directive for a CBI inquiry into the Sandeshkhali incident involving an attack on Enforcement Directorate officials.

PM Meets Sandeshkhali Assault Victims 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with female victims of the Sandeshkhali assault on Wednesday further highlighted the gravity of the situation. Described as a compassionate interaction, PM Modi listened to the victims’ accounts attentively and empathetically. He characterized the affected women as part of his extended family and criticized the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for allegedly shielding the perpetrators.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met women victims from Sandeshkhali. They put forward their ordeal and PM heard them patiently like a father figure. The victims were very emotional with the fact that PM Modi understood their pain: BJP sources
— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2024

PM Modi also strongly condemned the TMC government’s handling of the Sandeshkhali incident, accusing it of neglecting the welfare of its citizens, particularly women. He criticized the government’s alleged failure to address the concerns raised by the judiciary and highlighted the ongoing atrocities against women, especially those from marginalized communities.

“Under TMC’s rule, the women of this land have been tortured. Whatever happened in Sandeshkhali will put anyone to shame but the TMC government does not care about your issues. TMC government is hell-bent on saving the perpetrator. Their acts were first condemned by the High Court and then the Supreme Court as well. TMC leaders have committed atrocities on the women of the state. Leaders of TMC are torturing the women from poor, Dalit, and Adivasis groups. TMC government trusts its leaders more than it trusts the women of Bengal. TMC has full confidence in their leader but not in the women of West Bengal,” the Prime Minister said.

After a prolonged period of inaction, Shahjahan Sheikh was apprehended by the West Bengal police on February 29. Subsequently, he was remanded to 10-day police custody by the Basirhat Court in West Bengal.