The Calcutta High Court today took up a suo moto matter, filed a single bench on the alleged atrocities which have taken place in Sandeshkali, West Bengal. The violence includes women being allegedly raped at gun-point and tribal land being grabbed by members of the ruling party, including Pradhan of the Zila Parishad, Shahjahan Sheikh.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya was hearing the plea. The High Court bench impleaded that several authorities, including the state, CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and ED (Enforcement Directorate) as well as Sheikh Shahjahan himself as party respondents in the matter. The court also directed the Registry to issue a public notice in the newspapers regarding Sheikh being impleaded as a respondent in the matter due to him being on the run.
The Calcutta High Court clarified that there was no order staying Trinamool leader Sheikh’s arrest and that the police would need to apprehend him in the criminal cases registered against him. The bench stated that the advocates submitted that a wrong impression has been created that a stay order on the arrest of the person has been granted.
The court expressed that it is surprising that the cases were registered four years ago, and it has taken four years for these to mature into chargesheets.During the hearing today, Advocate Priyanka Tibrewal contended that the women of the area were not confident in approaching the police due to their involvement with the accused, and the Court suggested that their complaints could be registered by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA).
Furthermore, on the allegation that the ruling dispensation’s ministers were visiting the area although Section 144 CrPC had been imposed, the High Court remarked that conditional exception was only made for two persons, in a petition moved by BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari to visit the area and that such an order should not be taken undue advantage of.
The court verbally remarked that people cannot be walking in all the time and expressing their sorrow. Questioning what is the fun of hundreds of people visiting, the court added that people are already agitated in the area. The court stated that law be allowed to take its course, mentioning that all the time people going there may have an unpredictable effort.
Reportedly, the amicus curiae has also been allowed to furnish a report on the information gathered regarding events in the area.