Sandeshkhali accused Sheikh Shahjahan handed over to CBI

Sandeshkhali accused Sheikh Shahjahan has been handed over to the CBI, ANI reported.

Sandeshkhali accused Sheikh Shahjahan on Wednesday was handed over to the CBI by the West Bengal Police. The handover took place after the Calcutta high court had asked the police to hand over the suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader to the central agency by 4:15 pm.

Sheikh Shahjahan. (File)

The high court had asked the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to hand over Shahjahan on Tuesday, but the cops had refused to do so, citing that the Mamata Banerjee government had challenged the high court order in the Supreme Court.

Shahjahan was arrested last week after evading arrest for nearly two months since his supporters attacked an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team of officials who had gone to Sandeshkhali to search his premises in connection with a ration scam probe on January 5.

Also revered as ‘Bhai’ by his supporters, Shahjahan joined the TMC in 2013, two years after Mamata Banerjee-led TMC removed the Left Front from power in Bengal. According to many people, he was more powerful than several MLAs and ministers.

“Such was his influence that if any villager went to the police to lodge a complaint against any TMC men, the cops would advise him to approach Shahjahan," a police official had told HT.

On February 18, several women holding brooms and sticks staged protests in Sandeshkhali, accusing Shahjahan and his supporters of sexual assault.After the Calcutta high court questioned why he was not being arrested, the TMC claimed that the HC had stayed Shahjahan's arrest. The high court bench clarified that there was no such stay and the accused needed to be arrested.

The Sandeshkhali case has triggered a big political slugfest between the TMC and the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the BJP attack against Mamata Banerjee.

“TMC has committed a grave sin by torturing mothers and sisters. Anybody’s head will hang in shame after seeing what happened in Sandeshkhali. But the TMC is not bothered about your pain. The TMC-government is using its full strength to shield the culprits," the prime minister said at a rally in Barasat.