Bengal DGP in Sandeshkhali amid NHRC notice; 2nd gang-rape case filed

West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar, who reached Sandeshkhali on Wednesday (February 21) to evaluate the situation amid protests over allegations of sexual abuse by TMC leaders, said on Thursday the police will listen to the complaints of every individual and strict action will be taken against the guilty.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also issued a notice to the state government and police chief regarding ongoing violence in the area. The NHRC also decided to “dispatch its team to verify facts through an on-site investigation” into the occurrences of “human rights violations” in the troubled zone in North 24-Parganas district, according to official sources.

A three-member team of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) also reached West Bengal on Wednesday to investigate complaints of sexual harassment of tribal women in Sandeshkhali, sources said.

What DGP said

On Thursday, DGP Kumar, who stayed in Sandeshkhali overnight, said the police will listen to the complaints of every individual in the area, and strict action will be taken against those found guilty of torturing women.

“I came here to talk to my officers. It’s our responsibility to see the well-being of the people. We will listen to the complaints of every individual. If there is any incident regarding land grabbing or anything else, we will take strict action against those found guilty. If people are found involved in torturing, we will take appropriate action against them,” Kumar told reporters at Dhamakhali on Thursday morning.

Kumar, in his first visit to the area since the protests began, held meetings with ADG South Bengal Supratim Sarkar, Basirhat Police District SP Hasan Mehedi Rehman, and other police officers and also visited adjoining islands of Situlia, Sardarpara, and Manipur on Wednesday evening to understand the situation there.

Amid the prevailing tensions in Sandeshkhali, law enforcement maintained a robust presence as efforts towards restoring normalcy persisted.

Second gangrape case

Meanwhile, police on Wednesday registered a second gangrape case against the three prime accused — Shajahan Sheikh, Uttam Sarder, and Sibaprasad Hazra — after another woman recorded her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before a magistrate.

The trio has been booked under IPC sections 376D (gangrape), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation). One such case was registered earlier.

The police have so far arrested 18 people for alleged involvement in some violent protests at Sandeshkhali.

NCST probe

The NCST inquiry comes amid a political uproar ahead of the Lok Sabha elections over alleged incidents of rape and harassment of women in Sandeshkhali.

Led by Vice-Chairperson Ananta Nayak, the team will also inquire into the complaints of tribal land grabbing by “people associated with the Trinamool Congress”, a source told news agency PTI.

"We will meet the people there and look into their complaints," Nayak told reporters.

Notice to chief secretary, police chief 

The commission has also issued notices to the chief secretary of West Bengal and the state police head, asking them to submit factual and action-taken reports within three days.

“The commission has decided to investigate/inquire into the matter in pursuance of the powers conferred upon it under Article 338A of the Constitution of India. You are hereby requested to submit the facts and information on the action taken on the said allegations/matters to the undersigned within 3 days of receipt of this notice either by post, in person, or by any other means of communication,” the NCST notice to the state’s chief secretary and police head read.

The panel said it may exercise the powers of civil courts conferred on it under the Constitution and issue summons to the chief secretary and police head if they fail to submit reports within the stipulated time.

NHRC’s intent

The area, which has witnessed a succession of protests over the past weeks, experienced relative calmness, albeit with a women’s sit-in protest against TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh for his purported remarks concerning the women of Sandeshkali during a televised discussion.

On Wednesday, the NHRC announced its intent to dispatch a fact-finding team for an on-site inquiry into the reported “human rights violations” in Sandeshkhali.

The NHRC has taken “suo motu cognisance of print and electronic media reports that in Sandeshkhali,... innocent and impoverished women have been harassed and sexually assaulted by a group of local gang of a political person, as a result of which, for last few days, local villagers have started protesting for appropriate legal action against the perpetrators of horrific crimes indulged by various goons and anti-social elements, when the local administration failed to take appropriate legal action against the perpetrators of crime.”

Call for President’s rule

The National Commission for Women and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes have advocated imposition of President’s rule in West Bengal.

The BJP, on the other hand, is poised to release a documentary on Sandeshkhali on Thursday, intensifying its criticism of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government over alleged incidents of atrocities and sexual assaults on women in the region.

The BJP announced the forthcoming release of the “exclusive” documentary titled The Sandeshkhali Shocker: The Big Reveal at 9 am on Thursday.

The party urged people to ask Banerjee “Didi ke bolo, aaro koto Sandeshkhali?” (Tell Didi, how many more Sandeshkhali-like incidents?). Banerjee is popularly called Didi (elder sister) by her followers.

War of words

In New Delhi, the BJP accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of surpassing the former CPI(M) administration in subjecting the people of West Bengal to atrocities, asserting that the public would deliver a resounding response to the ruling TMC in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“The Sandeshkhali issue is becoming very serious. The patent assault, humiliating treatment, sexual assault on a woman is a shame on our society and democracy,” senior BJP leader Ravi Shakar Prasad said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters.

In response to the BJP’s allegations, the TMC charged the saffron party with fomenting unrest in the state.

‘The BJP is attempting to disturb the peace in the state. They are endeavouring to communalize the situation in Sandeshkhali,” stated TMC leader Kunal Ghosh.

Complaints against gang

The riverine Sandeshkhali area, situated on the borders of the Sunderbans about 100km from Kolkata, has been witnessing protests after local women accused absconding TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his supporters of land grabbing and sexual assault under coercion.

Shajahan has been absconding after a mob, allegedly affiliated with him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a ration scam on January 5.

The protesting women in Sandeshkhali have alleged that Shajahan and his “gang”, including Hazra and Sardar, captured swathes of land by force, besides sexually harassing them.

(With agency inputs)