Sheikh Shahjahan Arrested in Sandeshkhali Case: Accused of Sexual Atrocities, Land Grabbing

GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 29th Feb. Sheikh Shahjahan, a prominent leader of the Trinamool Congress and the main accused in the Sandeshkhali case, has been arrested by the police. He and his associates face allegations of committing sexual atrocities on women and engaging in land grabbing in Sandeshkhali.

Sheikh Shahjahan’s arrest took place late at night in the North 24 Parganas district by a specialized team of the Bengal police after a 55-day chase. Following his arrest, he was brought before the Basirhat court.

Officials said that they had been monitoring the leader’s movements for several days leading up to the arrest.

The arrest comes in the wake of a directive from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court three days ago to include Sheikh Shahjahan in the Sandeshkhali case. The Court, emphasizing the absence of any impediments to his arrest, instructed for a public notice to be issued in the case.

While the ruling Trinamool Congress hailed the arrest as a result of judicial clearance, accusing the opposition of exploiting prior constraints on his arrest, the BJP dismissed it as orchestrated. They alleged that Sheikh Shahjahan had been under the safe custody of the West Bengal Police.

Sandeshkhali, located in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, has witnessed widespread protests against Sheikh Shahjahan, with numerous women accusing him and his supporters of land grabbing and sexual assault. Sheikh Shahjahan, previously implicated in various criminal cases, including the murder of three BJP workers in 2019, faces additional charges of money laundering and violence against power department employees.

The BJP has accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of shielding Sheikh Shahjahan, citing an incident where a mob of his supporters attacked an Enforcement Directorate team conducting raids against him in a corruption case.