TMC MP Derek O’Brien says the party has always walked the talk
A day after Sandeshkhali strongman Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested in connection with the mob attack on an Enforcement Directorate team on January 05, Trinamool Congress suspended him from the party for six years. In a press meet to announce the move, the party’s leaders took a swipe at the BJP and challenged it to act against tainted leaders in its ranks. “We have decided to suspend Shahjahan Sheikh from the party for six years. As always, we walk the talk. We have set examples in the past, and we are doing that again today,” TMC MP Derek O’Brien said.
The TMC local leader in Sandeshkhali had been on the run for the past 55 days. He was arrested by Bengal Police in the early hours of Thursday, following which he was sent to police custody for 10 days by a local court.
Following his court appearance, the TMC leader was brought to the CID headquarters at Bhavani Bhawan, Kolkata. According to sources, the case is likely to be handed over to the CID.
Sheikh and his gang are among the key accused in cases of land grabbing and sexual harassment of local women. These are allegations against the men that surfaced following violent protests in Sandeshkhali of North 24 Parganas district. He had been absconding since January 5 after a team of Enforcement Directorate officials was attacked by a violent mob of his supporters in Sandeshkhali when they went on a raid to his residence.
After his arrest, the Basirhat Court in West Bengal remanded Sheikh Shahjahan to 10 days of police custody. The court granted a shorter custody period than initially sought, as was revealed by his lawyer Raja Bhowmick who told the media that that a 14-day custody was requested. Shahjahan is slated to appear in court again on March 10, underscoring the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding his case.
Sheikh Shahjahan’s arrest comes from accusations of assaulting Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers during a raid in early January this year. The incident further aggravated the ongoing political tumult in the state. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said the arrest was an ‘eye-opener’, and ‘just the tip of the iceberg’. His remarks underscored the need to address systemic issues contributing to unrest and criminal activities in several areas.
Addressing concerns of unchecked criminal influence, Governor Bose stressed on decisive action by the authorities to curb lawlessness, including the need for a more robust and responsive governance framework. He also highlighted the need for preventative measures to forestall similar incidents in the future, emphasizing the importance of justice and accountability in democratic governance.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari says central agencies take Shahjahan into custody else local people won’t get justice
Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has raised scepticism regarding the circumstances surrounding Shahjahan’s arrest, alleging political manoeuvring. “This is not an arrest but a mutual adjustment. Unless the central agencies take him into their custody, the local people there won’t get justice. He will get five-star facilities in jail. He will use his mobile phone inside and control the area from there,” he said while speaking to reporters while on the way to Sandeshkhali on Thursday.
Sandeshkhali, situated in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, has been riddled with multiple episodes of unrest. There have been widespread protests against Sheikh Shahjahan and his supporters amid allegations of land-grabbing and sexual assault. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali protested over the past couple of weeks against Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides.
Bengali