TMC's Sheikh Shahjahan nabbed at last after high court push

TMC MP Derek O Brien announced that the TMC has also decided to suspend Shahjahan from the party for six years.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, who lorded over Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, was arrested by the state police late on Wednesday night in connection with the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on January 5 this year after being on the run for the past 55 days, a period during which several allegations of sexual assault and land grab have been made against him by local tribal communities.

Sheikh Shahjahan at Basirhat court in North 24 Parganas. (HT photo)

Hours after the arrest, which comes against the backdrop of protests by the Left, Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s local units against Shahjahan, TMC MP Derek O Brien announced that the TMC has also decided to suspend Shahjahan from the party for six years.

“We have arrested Shahjahan, one of the prime accused in the case in which ED officials were assaulted in Nazat area, from Bamanpukur at Minakhan in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday night,” Supratim Sarkar, ADG (south Bengal), told reporters. The state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said that it has taken over the investigation into the cases involving Shahjahan. From Basirhat court he was brought to the CID’s headquarters at Bhabani Bhavan in Kolkata.

Police said that after the January 5 incident three FIRs were registered by the Nazat police station. While one was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by deputy director of ED, police opened a separate suo moto case. A third FIR was lodged against ED on the basis of a complaint lodged by the caretaker of Shahjahan’s house accusing officials of theft and outraging modesty of women.

“He was arrested in the first two cases. We had applied for a bail on the ground that he was not named in the suo moto case registered by the police,” said Raja Bhowmik, Shahjahan’s counsel.

The TMC leader was produced before the Basirhat court on Thursday. Police sought his custody for 14 days and got it for 10.

“He was charged under multiple sections including 353 (using criminal force to deter public servant), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to public servant), 307 (attempt to murder), 395 (dacoity) and 397 (causing grievous hurt with weapons during dacoity among others,” said Arun Kumar Pal, the state’s counsel.

The Calcutta high court observed on Thursday that it has “no sympathy” after his counsel approached the division bench requesting that Shahjahan’s plea for regular bail be listed as an urgent motion.

“Let him be arrested. For the next 10 years, this person will keep you very busy. You won’t have any time for any other brief. 42 cases have been registered against him, he had been absconding as well. You come on Monday. Anything you want you come on Monday, we have got no sympathy for that person,” a division bench observed.

Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas has been on the boil since February 7 with village women hitting the roads demanding the arrest of Shahjahan and his aides over allegations of land grab and sexual assault. Prohibitory orders had to be clamped in several pockets.

“Multiple complaints have poured in against him since February 7. Police have registered cases against them, but as these cases are related to incidents which took place at least two to three years ago, investigation and evidence collection will take time,” said ADG Sarkar.

Pressure was mounting on the ruling TMC government seeking Shahjahan’s arrest. The Calcutta high court was criticising its lack of action and opposition parties stepped up their attack alleging that the administration was shielding him.

“Shahjahan has been suspended from the party. The fate of the posts, which he is holding, will be decided soon. The BJP wanted to keep the Sandeshkhali issue burning till Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes. Only TMC can set an example of raj dharma by arresting the accused. We have arrested Uttam Sardar and Shibaprasad Hazra earlier. Had Abhishek Banerjee not flagged the issue that Shahjahan was not being arrested because of a stay given by the Calcutta high court, it wouldn’t have come to the notice of the court,” said Bratya Base, state minister.

Earlier this week the Calcutta high court, however, clarified that the police were free to arrest him as there was no such stay. On Wednesday a division bench led by Calcutta high court chief justice TS Sivagnanam also allowed CBI and ED to arrest him.

Shahjahan’s arrest was celebrated in the region. A section of villagers in Sandeshkhali distributed sweets. Women blew conch shells.

But the BJP alleged a cover-up.

“He is in the safe custody of the police. This is not an arrest. This is a mutual adjustment. He has been promised five-star facilities inside the prison and will be allowed to use mobile phone to control his area from the jail. That’s why we want that either ED of the CBI should take him into custody,“ said Suvendu Adhikari, BJP legislator,

“His so-called arrest (on basis of mutual understanding) has been declared now, as the nitty-gritties of the deal between him and Mamata Police regarding the facilities he would be enjoying in lockup and prison have been finalised,” Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the opposition, wrote in his X handle.

“We all know that gangsters are ruling the roost in many pockets of West Bengal unchecked by law enforcement agencies. This is not a contemporary phenomenon but a continuation of what has been there. What we see is the tip of the iceberg. I had an opportunity to interact with the people in the field after the last panchayat polls. People said goonda raj is there. Strong action has to be taken and this has to be nipped in the bud stage,” CV Anand Bose, West Bengal Governor told reporters after Shahjahan’s arrest.