Sandeshkhali Unrest: BJP's Locket Detained as She Clashes with Cops for Halting Team; Villagers Attempt to Vandalise TMC Leader's Home

As fresh protests rocked West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali on Friday, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee was detained after she argued with police officials for stopping her party’s women’s delegation from entering the unrest-hit area.

The BJP has said it will hold a three-day sit-in protest in Kolkata over the Sandeshkhali issue from March 26.

The West Bengal police tried to detain some villagers from Jhupkhali where women and villagers protested on Friday. Locals protested in front of the police.

Villagers also tried to vandalise the residence of TMC leader Ajit Maity in Jhupkhali.

A National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) team on Friday reached Sandeshkhali to ascertain facts by an on-spot inquiry into allegations of violation of human rights there. The National Human Rights Commission team reached Sandeshkhali via Dhamakhali ferry ghat, after crossing the Kalagachi river by boat, a senior police official said.

Meanwhile, the financial probe agency, Enforcement Directorate (ED), summoned absconding TMC zilla parishad member Shahjahan Sheikh for the fourth time in connection with the ration distribution ‘scam’. The ED asked Shahjahan, who is accused of abusing women and grabbing land of Sandeshkhali locals along with his aides, to appear before it on February 29.

Shahjahan has skipped three ED summons before this. Last month, the federal agency also conducted two separate raids on multiple locations on different dates in connection with the case. Those places included the residence of Shahjahan’s residence in Sandeshkhali.

On January 5, a team of ED officials was attacked by over a hundred villagers in North 24 Parganas’ Sandeshkhali where they had gone to raid Sheikh’s residence as part of their probe into the ration ‘scam’. Three ED officers were injured in the attack. The TMC strongman has been on the run since then.

The ED has also registered a new case against Shahjahan based on a case of land grabbing filed at the Najat Police Station. The central probe agency has initiated raids at six spots across West Bengal, including Howrah, in connection with the allegations against Shahjahan.

The ED officials conducted raids on the premises of Partha Pratim Sengupta, reportedly a close aide of the absconding TMC leader, in Central Howrah.

Meanwhile, fresh tensions gripped West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali area after villagers set fire to a hut belonging to Shahjahan Sheikh’s brother, Shirajuddin.

The incident took place in the Rampur area of Sandeshkhali, where several women have been protesting demanding justice against sexual atrocities against them by Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides. West Bengal Police chief Rajeev Kumar pledged action against the perpetrators.

Sources in the Election Commission said they were monitoring the Sandeshkhali protests with special emphasis. They said they were sending everyday law-and-order reports to Delhi.

Scheduled tribes panel interacts with locals

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) team, which reached trouble-torn Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Thursday morning, has received over 23 complaints of forcible land grabbing and torture during their interaction with locals there, a senior official said.

NCST acting vice-chairperson Ananta Nayak said they have also received complaints against a politician, which they would include in their report to the President, the official added.

“They (Sandeshkhali residents) have mentioned the name of a political leader. We will include it in our report. We have received more than 23 complaints so far,” Nayak told reporters.

“We will compare this (their findings) with the ground report and then submit it to the President,” he added.

The visit by the NCST team comes days after a team of the National Commission for Women and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes had gone to the area.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday issued a notice to the state government and police chief regarding ongoing violence and human rights violations in the area.

Recognising the gravity of the situation, the NHRC has additionally decided to “dispatch its team to verify facts through an on-site investigation” into the occurrences of “human rights violations” in Sandeshkhali, according to official sources.

Bengal BJP chief holds sit-in protest

Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, who was permitted by police to visit the troubled area for the first time, staged a brief sit-in outside Sandeshkhali police station.

His demand for the arrest of fugitive TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh led to his forcible removal by law enforcement officers from the unrest zone via a boat. The day witnessed fresh protests in parts of Sandeshkhali, fueled by allegations against local TMC leaders for sexual abuse and forcible land grabbing. Locals, armed with sticks, vented their anger by setting ablaze a thatched structure near a pond, purportedly belonging to Shahjahan’s brother Siraj, who is also a local TMC activist.

Majumdar, along with other BJP leaders met Governor CV Ananda Bose at Raj Bhavan late on Thursday evening over the Sandeshkhali issue.

BJP releases documentary

In New Delhi, the BJP released a documentary on social media platforms, highlighting alleged land grab and sexual exploitation in Sandeshkhali, condemning the Trinamool Congress government’s alleged inaction. The BJP said on X about the over 20-minute long video, “A truth that’ll shock us. A truth that’ll pain us. A truth that’ll shake our conscience. The truth of #Sandeshkhali, that Mamata Banerjee is trying to hide.” In response, the TMC accused the BJP of attempting to communalise the issue, emphasising the need for documentaries on crimes against women in BJP-ruled states.

“They should first release documentaries on crimes against women in the BJP-ruled states,” TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said. The unrest in Sandeshkhali stems from accusations against TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his supporters of land grabbing and sexual assault, with Shahjahan evading authorities since a mob attack on Enforcement Directorate officials on January 5.

TV scribe gets bail

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted bail to a television journalist, who was arrested on duty at the restive Sandeshkhali, observing that the press must be allowed to function freely and independently, without any fear of reprisal or intimidation. Santu Pan, who works for Republic Bangla news channel, was arrested on February 19 on the basis of a complaint by a woman alleging that he had trespassed into her house in Sandeshkhali.

Justice Kausik Chanda also stayed all proceedings in connection with the case against him at Sandeshkhali police station in North 24 Parganas district till disposal of his petition seeking quashing of the FIR. The court noted that Sandeshkhali garnered public attention across the country over the assault of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials allegedly by aides of Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh on January 5.

(With inputs from Kamalika Sengupta and agencies)