The Calcutta High Court reserved its verdict on transferring the investigation into sexual abuse and land grab allegations levelled by the women of West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali against jailed and suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday.
Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested and suspended from the Trinamool Congress last week.
Following his arrest, the Calcutta High Court stated that the court had “no sympathy” for the Trinamool leader, thus asking his lawyers to appear before it on March 4, when a suo motu motion on alleged sexual atrocities and land grabbing of tribal people at Sandeshkhali will be heard.
During the hearing, the lawyers appearing for central agencies, CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) said the state police acted in collusion with the accused and the matter needed to be transferred to the CBI.
However, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju told the court that the state police did not do anything and mischievously arrested him in specific matters to defeat the investigation.
He said, “Let him be sent to CBI custody otherwise his arrest is a farce. It will not lead to an investigation and no one will get custody after 15 days. The matter has to be heard immediately.”
“If there is a joint investigation, information will be leaked because the police collude with the accused. The main accused is a member of TMC,” he added.
The Attorney General, appearing for the Bengal government, said unrelated cases were being dragged into the transfer matter, adding that central agencies were not cooperative.
“Investigation is a state subject and that’s why Bengal Police shall be the one probing,” the Bengal AG said.
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