Calcutta High Court on Monday said Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan should be arrested in the Sandeshkhali case. The court clarified there is no stay on arrest of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shajahan, who has been accused of sexual atrocities and land grab in Sandeshkhali.
The court directed that Sheikh, the Enforcement Directorate, the CBI, the state home secretary be impleaded as parties in the suo motu matter initiated on the allegations of sexual atrocities on women and land grab of tribal people.
A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam directed that a public notice be given in newspapers by the high court registry stating that Sheikh has been impleaded in the matter, as he is on the run and not seen in public since a mob attack on ED officials on January 5.
On a prayer by court-appointed amicus curiae for a clarification on whether there is a restraining order on police from arresting Sheikh, the division bench said there is no such stay and the police can arrest him.
The court said that in a different matter, it had only stayed the constitution of a joint special investigation team of the CBI and the state police, which had been ordered by a single bench to investigate the attack on ED officials.
The division bench, including Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed that the matter will come up for hearing again on March 4.
Police arrest another TMC leader in Sandeshkhali, lodge FIR against Shajahan
In another development in Sandeshkhali row which created huge turbulence in West Bengal politics, the state police on Monday arrested TMC leader Ajit Maiti from North 24 Parganas district on the charges of land grabbing from villagers.
Maiti, considered a close aide of absconding TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh, was detained on Sunday evening from the residence of a civic volunteer where he had locked himself for over four hours after being chased by villagers, he said.
"We have arrested him from Bermadjur area after getting complaints from villagers regarding land grabbing. We will produce him before a court later in the day," the police officer said.
Maiti's arrest comes less than 24 hours after the TMC made him the area president in place of Shajahan's brother Sheikh Sirajuddin. According to the police, Maiti was grilled overnight in connection with allegations of land grabbing and sexual abuse of women and arrested early in the morning.
(With PTI inputs)
