On Tuesday, March 5, the Calcutta High Court ordered the Mamata Govt to hand over the custody of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan to the CBI and said that the directions be complied with by 4.30 pm today (March 5). The West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID) which is handling Shahjahan’s case, however, refused to hand over his custody to the central probe agency. As a result, the CBI officials had to return from police headquarters in Kolkata empty-handed.
The reason provided by the Mamata administration for not complying with the Calcutta High Court order was that the state had approached the Supreme Court against the HC order directing a CBI probe in the Sandeshkhali matter. They said that they would not release Sheikh Shahjahan till the top court’s ruling.
#WATCH | CBI team left from police headquarters in Kolkata. West Bengal CID did not hand over custody of Sheikh Shahjahan to CBI as the state government went to the Supreme Court regarding this matter. pic.twitter.com/sAJeWoihYK
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2024
Notably, earlier in the day, Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam of Calcutta HC had dismissed the SIT formed to probe the arrest of TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan and handed over the probe to the CBI. He ordered the Mamata Govt to hand over the custody of the TMC leader to the CBI by 4.30 pm today (March 5).
“Hand over Trinamool strongman Sheikh Shahjahan to CBI by 4.30 pm,” Calcutta High Court said while issuing an ultimatum to the Bengal government.
After the Calcutta High Court order, the Mamata Government moved the Supreme Court against the HC order directing a CBI probe in the Sandeshkhali matter. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Mamata Government mentioned the plea before the Supreme Court. SC, however, asked Singhvi to mention it before the registrar general of the top court.
Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested on February 29, in connection with last month’s attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. The arrest came 55 days after he fled in the wake of the public and political upheaval over allegations of sexual atrocities, land grabbing, robbing people, physical assault, and sexual abuse against Sheikh Shajahan and his supporters. He was arrested from a hideout barely 30km from Sandeshkhali.
The TMC leader was sent to 10-day police custody. The West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID) had taken over the ED officials’ assault case.
