Police officers on Sunday stopped a six-member independent fact-finding panel led by former Chief Justice of Patna High Court L Narasimha Reddy from entering the unrest-hit Sandeshkhali area in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas.
Citing restrictions due to the implementation of Section 144 (prohibits assemblies of four or more individuals) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), police stopped the convoy of the team that went to probe the alleged incidents of atrocities on women at the Bhojerhat area, which is around 52 km from the riverine area, on Basanti Highway.
Reddy, accompanied by former IPS officer Raj Pal Singh, former National Commission for Women member Charu Wali Khanna, advocates O P Vyas and Bhavna Bajaj, and senior journalist Sanjeev Nayak, sat on the wayside vowing to proceed to the area as high drama followed.
“This is completely illegal. We have told the police personnel as law-abiding citizens we will not break rules. No curfew has been imposed in Sandeshkhali. So we can go in two groups. At least two of our women members should be allowed to visit the females who had bore the brunt of atrocities of musclemen enjoying political patronage and impunity from police action in all these days till the media unravelled the shocking truth,” Reddy said.
They are scheduled to visit Majherpara, Natun para, Patra para and Naskarpara Ras temple under the jurisdiction of Sandeshkhali police station limits. The committee is slated to submit a report to the constitutional authorities.
The riverine Sandeshkhali area, situated about 100 kilometres from Kolkata on the borders of the Sunderbans, has been witnessing protests since the first week of February over allegations of sexual atrocities and land grabs by local TMC leaders. One of the key accused Shahjahan Sheikh has been evading authorities since a mob attack on Enforcement Directorate officials, who had gone to search his premises in Sandeshkhali in connection with a corruption case, on January 5. Shiba Prasad Hajra and Uttam Sardar, considered close associates of Sheikh, were, however, arrested.
Here are the latest updates on the Sandeshkhali issue.
- Police on Sunday arrested Indian Secular Front (ISF) leader Ayesha Bibi from the Sandeshkhali area for her alleged involvement in burning poultry firms of arrested local TMC leader Shibaprasad Hazra, an officer said. Police also detained a few villagers for their alleged involvement in vandalism, he added.
- Villagers of Jhupkhali attacked TMC local leader Ajit Maity, demanding his arrest for helping prime accused Shahjahan. He had to take shelter in a villager’s house.
- A TMC delegation will again visit the trouble-torn Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Sunday and speak to villagers who have been protesting against alleged atrocities by local leaders of the ruling party. The delegation led by state irrigation minister Partha Bhowmick is expected to reach the restive area in the afternoon, a party leader said.
- Bengal BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari launched a stinging attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the delay in the arrest of key accused Sheikh Shahjahan. Hitting out at Mamata Banerjee for lodging 42 cases against him and failing to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday said, “she is a cruel lady”.
- On Saturday, a TMC delegation consisting of two West Bengal ministers Partha Bhowmik and Sujit Basu visited different parts of the riverine area, interacted with locals and promised their grievances will be addressed expeditiously. They had also promised all the guilty involved in alleged atrocities will be brought to book and the ruling party has ‘zero tolerance’ to wrongdoings of a section of local leaders.
- West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday alleged that the BJP would try to give the Sandeshkhali issue a communal colour and play divisive politics before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
- A team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) headed by panel member Vijaya Bharati Sayani also visited trouble-torn Sandeshkhali for the second consecutive day to investigate allegations of land-grabbing by some TMC leaders. One part of the team, comprising three members, went to Jeliakhali, while another team comprising two members visited Sandeshkhali police station and also spoke to villagers.
(With PTI inputs)
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