Sandeshkhali Row: West Bengal Governor Urges State government to Immediately Arrest TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh

Following the Calcutta High Court's order instructing the police to apprehend TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has urged the state government to submit a report within 72 hours if they fail to nab the man accused of sexual offenses and land encroachment in Sandeshkhali.

The official informed PTI that the Governor has additionally requested the state to probe the reported incident of miscreants allegedly throwing a child in Sandeshkhali and to furnish a report to his office. In the light of the decision of the Calcutta High Court, the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali incidents, Shajahan Shiekh, may be arrested immediately, failing which reasons for the same may be reported within 72 hours, Bose wrote to the state government. The veracity of a reported incident of a child being thrown by miscreants may be looked into and if found to be correct, strict action may be taken and report submitted, Bose’s letter read.

The high court issued directions to include Sheikh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the CBI, the superintendent of police, and the state's home secretary as parties in the suo motu proceedings initiated on allegations of sexual offenses against women and the encroachment of tribal land. Therefore, the said person shall be arrested by the concerned police authorities, the court directed Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district has been witnessing protests for the past few weeks over allegations of land grab and sexual atrocities on women by Sheikh and his supporters.

Numerous individuals, including Shibapada Hazra and Uttam Sardar, purported associates of Sheikh, have been apprehended. However, Sheikh himself has been eluding authorities since January 5, when ED officials conducting a raid at his Sandeshkhali premises were assaulted.