Leader Online Desk : Sandeshkhali Sexual Assault Case : The CBI will investigate the sexual harassment case of women in Sandeshgal in West Bengal. Kolkata High Court has given this order. Three TMC leaders Sheikh Shahjahan, Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar are accused in this case.
A bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagyanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya heard 5 PILs against Shah Jahan, the main accused under Sandesh. The bench said that the CBI investigation will be conducted under the supervision of the court. The CBI will submit the investigation report to the High Court. The case will be heard again on May 2. (Sandeshkhali Sexual Assault Case)
TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested on February 29 by the Bengal Police on charges of sexual harassment of women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal. The police then handed him over to the CBI.
This is a question of people's safety: High Court (Sandeshkhali Sexual Assault Case)
If any affidavit is true, it is shameful. The entire administration and rulers are 100 percent morally responsible for this. This is a public safety issue. The court opined that if the SC-ST National Commission report has even one percent truth in it, it is 100 percent disgraceful.
The lawyers of another public interest litigant said that security should be provided to the witnesses in this case. He claimed that none of the women came forward to testify in court due to security reasons.
The second petitioner's lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal said, 'Most of the women are illiterate. Forget e-mail, she can't even write a letter. More than 500 women have complained to us of sexual harassment. We have affidavits which say that only one Shahjahan was arrested. 1000 of his companions are roaming the village and threatening them not to make a statement against Shah Jahan. Shahjahan's activists are threatening to behead their husbands and children and play football if the women give a statement.
State government not cooperating with probe, ED alleges
During the hearing in the court, advocate Kishore Datta, representing the state government, raised questions on the investigation method of the central investigation agencies. Dutta said, if the court gives an order, we can file a public interest litigation regarding the findings of the CBI investigation in the last 10 years and what has happened to those cases so far.
Deputy Solicitor General Dheeraj Trivedi, representing the ED in the case, alleged that the state government was not cooperating and questioned how the central agency would proceed with the investigation in such a situation.
Shah Jahan and two of his companions were charged with rape
In Sandeshkhali, Sheikh Shahjahan along with his two associates Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar are accused of gang-raping women for a long time. Police have arrested 18 people including Shibu Hazra, Uttam Sardar, Shah Jahan in this case.
Shahjahan Shaikh has been the district level leader of TMC. ED had raided his house on January 5 in connection with the ration scam. Then more than 200 supporters of Shahjahan launched a fatal attack on the ED team. The officers had to run for their lives. After that, Shah Jahan absconded. He was captured after 55 days.