Sandeshkhali Violence: In the latest developments pertaining to the issue of Sandeshkhali violence, the Calcutta High Court allowed the 6-member fact-finding team to go to Sandeshkhali on March 1, news agency ANI reported on Wednesday. The fact-finding team led by a former judge of the Patna High Court will go to Majherpara, Natunpara, and Naskarpara.
Justice Kaushik Chandra also allowed State LoP and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari to go to Sandeshkhali. He will go tomorrow, and no inflammatory comments can be made.
Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari and BJP leader Rahul Sinha held a sit-in protest near Mahatma Gandhi statue at the state Assembly over the Sandeshkhali issue.
Top Points
- The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday allowed Adhikari to visit Haldarpara in Sandeshkhali area on Thursday, PTI reported.
- Justice Kausik Chanda directed that the conditions for visiting the area would be the same as were imposed by the high court for Adhikari's previous visit to Sandeshkhali on February 20.
- On Sandeshkhali violence, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul took a pot shot at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and said that the violence accused Shahjahan Sheikh is being protected on orders of the Chief Minister, and she should also be punished. Paul claimed that there are 42 cases against him, and he is the accused in all of them, but his name has been struck out of chargesheets. "Three BJP leaders were murdered, and Sheikh Shajahan was the main accused," she said.
- Agnimitra Paul further alleged Shahjahan Sheikh, saying that people like him are allowing Rohingyas to enter the country and issuing voter IDs and Aadhar cards. She further said that this is not the first time Banerjee has given him protection. "But the question is, why is she doing it?... People like Shahjahan are allowing Rohingyas to enter the country and issuing voter IDs and Aadhar cards," Agnimitra Paul told ANI.
- Speaking on the violence, TMC MP Kunal Ghosh said that BJP leader and LoP Suvendu Adhikari and the saffron party are telling the whereabouts of Shajahan in the media. They should tell this to the ED and CBI, and they will arrest him. "The problem of High Court is that they said the CBI and ED have the right to take action against Sheikh Shahjahan, we were also saying the same thing. We released the 7th and 8th paragraphs of the earlier order in the media. We clearly and categorically said that the Court had refrained the State Police from taking any action... Suvendu Adhikari and the BJP are telling the whereabouts of Sheikh Shajahan in the media. I request them to tell all this to the ED and CBI, they'll arrest him," Ghosh said.
- On Wednesday, the Calcutta High Court granted bail to BJP leader Bikash Singh, who was arrested in connection with alleged violent protests at Sandeshkhali, as reported by PTI. Singh moved the court, seeking quashing of proceedings against him, and prayed for interim bail.
- On Wednesday, the Calcutta High Court clarified that central agencies such as the CBI) or Enforcement Directorate would be free to arrest Sheikh, as reported by The Live Law.
- Sandeshkhali in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal has been witnessing protests over allegations of sexual atrocities and land grabbing by some local Trinamool Congress leaders.