The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the West Bengal government to cooperate with the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is looking into allegations of land grabbing and sexual harassment against suspended Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh in the Sandeshkhali village, Bar and Bench reported.
A bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya also permitted the National Human Rights Commission to be added as a party to the case, PTI reported.
On January 5, Enforcement Directorate officials were allegedly attacked at Sandeshkhali in the state’s North 24 Parganas district when they were carrying out raids at Sheikh’s house in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam.
A mob allegedly attacked the Enforcement Directorate officials with stones, bricks and batons.
Following this, several local women accused Sheikh and his associates, Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar, of torturing and sexually harassing them for several years, and also of grabbing their lands for prawn cultivation.
Sheikh was arrested by the police on February 29, Hazra on February 17 and Sardar on February 11.
Subsequently, the High Court had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to take up the matter after hearing public interest litigations seeking an independent probe into the allegations.
On Thursday, the bench noted the central agency’s submission that the state government had not been cooperating with its verification of over 900 complaints in connection with the allegations of land grabbing.
In response, the bench said: “Let the State of West Bengal extend the fullest cooperation to the CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] in the probe”
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and advocate Priyanka Tibrewal, one of the petitioners in the case, also told the High Court that she had received phone calls from some of the women who had been sexually assaulted, Bar and Bench reported.
The women claimed that they were threatened not to file cases against Sheikh and his associates, Tibrewal said.
“Some strangers have walked into their homes in night, telling them that they have already lost their honour and now if they file rape case they will lose their lives,” Tibrewal told the bench. “Therefore, women are scared to lodge a complaint even with the CBI.”
The bench urged the central agency to evolve a mechanism to “build confidence” among the victims for them to be able to lodge complaints.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on June 14.
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