'If one person can hold entire population to ransom...': HC raps Bengal on Sandeshkhali
Shahjahan Sheikh has been on the run for a month now after an ED team, which had gone to raid his residence came under a mob attack
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday (February 20) took exception to the involvement of TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh in the Sandeshkhali violence and the state government’s “inability” to apprehend him, stating that he “cannot be on the run” and the “state cannot support” him.
Refusing to allow an appeal by the state government, a division bench of the HC allowed Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari to visit the restive Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. The division bench presided by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam refused to interfere into a single bench order that allowed Adhikari and another BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh to visit Sandeshkhali on Tuesday.
Chief Justice Sivagnanam said the court has noted allegations made by women in Sandeshkhali. “We have seen the grievances, the women of the area have flagged issues, there has been some land grabbing. This person (Shahjahan Sheikh) cannot be on the run. The state cannot support it. In the suo motu matter, we will ask him to surrender here. He can't be defying law,” the Chief Justice said, according to Live Law.
“If one person can hold the entire population to ransom, the ruling dispensation should not support him. He is just a representative of the public. He is bound to do good to the public,” he added.
Chief Justice said “prima facie material” shows that Shahjahan “has done damage to the public”. “He is on the run after committing alleged crimes. We don't know if he's protected but unable to be secured. That could mean that state police are not able to secure him, or he is outside their jurisdiction,” he said.
The state government had challenged the court's order to pause prohibitory orders in the area, citing the law and order situation. The state's counsel said it is not opposed to local people or Constitutional functionaries moving around in the area, but fears visits by political leaders can spark trouble.
Shahjahan has been on the run for a month now after a team of Enforcement Directorate, which had gone to raid his home near Sandeshkhali in a corruption case, came under a mob attack.
The riverine Sandeshkhali area, situated about 100 km from Kolkata on the borders of the Sunderbans, has been witnessing protests over allegations of sexual atrocities and land grab by some ruling TMC leaders.
