The Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI investigation into allegations of extortion, land grab, and sexual assault that surfaced from West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali. The CBI has registered an FIR against five accused persons, while the rest remain unknown. The identities of the accused have not been disclosed, but they are said to be influential figures.
The case involves allegations of sexual harassment, land grab, and violence. The CBI has circulated an email ID for people to make complaints in such cases, and numerous complaints have been received. A team of CBI officials visited Sandeshkhali last week to investigate the allegations.
Sandeshkhali, in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, has been in the spotlight since the beginning of the year after several women led protests against local strongman and now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides. Shahjahan went on the run following the allegations but was later arrested and suspended from the TMC.
The Calcutta High Court has directed the Bengal Police to hand over Shahjahan’s custody to the CBI. He is currently in jail.
