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Hardeep Singh Puri alleges complete breakdown of law and order in West Bengal
Union minister Hardeep Siingh Puri said for the first time, the state government is appealing to the Supreme Court against the order that the investigation be given to the CBI
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday accused the West Bengal Police of bias over the arrest of Shahjahan Sheikh, a key suspect in the Sandeshkhali violence, and said that the state government’s refusal to hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) shows a “complete breakdown of law and order in the state.”
“The state police is completely biased. They are not handing him (Sheikh) over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). For the first time, I have seen that the State Government is appealing to the Supreme Court against the order that the investigation be given to the CBI.”
He further said that the accused is stated to be a strong man in the locality and has very powerful connections in the ruling party (Trinamool Congress).
On Tuesday, the Calcutta high court called the Bengal Police ‘totally biased’ and ordered that the investigation into the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at Sandeshkhali in January be transferred to the CBI.
However, the Bengal government approached the Supreme Court against the high court’s order. The police refused to hand over Sheikh’s custody to the CBI, saying the matter was sub-judice. The West Bengal government, represented by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, on Wednesday sought urgent listing of its plea in the Supreme Court.
The state government’s appeal to the SC against transferring the investigation to the central agency has sparked controversy. Hardeep Singh Puri expressed dismay at the delay of Shahjahan’s arrest, calling it a matter of shame that the state government allows such an incident to take place and even after 55 days they don’t allow him to be arrested.
Puri said, “The state police has played hide and seek methodology in all probabilities to shield the accused who undoubtedly is a highly politically influential person who is/would be in a position to influence the investigation if allowed to rest with the state police.”
“The case has been registered by ED, thus what is required is a fair and complete investigation and this alone will retain the public confidence in the impartial working of the state agencies”, he added.
