Sandeshkhali: CBI Receives around 50 Complaints on Dedicated Email ID on First Day

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is verifying complaints about alleged land grabs by influential individuals, who forcibly converted agricultural lands into small fish farms, and will soon register a FIR.

New Delhi: The CBI has received around 50 complaints related to alleged land grab, atrocities on women and other crimes on the first day of launching a dedicated email ID for people to report such offences in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali village, officials on Friday said.

The central probe agency is now faced with the tough task of separating the wheat from the chaff by thorough scrutiny of the allegations before proceeding to register cases on the basis of complaints, they said.

The officials said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has already started the process of verification of each complaint received on its email id and would start registering the FIR soon.

The sources said that many complaints pertaining to alleged land grab by politically influential persons have been received alleging that they had forcibly converted the agricultural lands into small fish farms, they said.

In addition, several complaints of alleged assault on women have also been received which are also being scrutinised for further action. The sources said that cases would be registered after primary verification of the allegations levelled in the complaints.

They said the CBI will be filing a report before the Calcutta High Court before May 2 in compliance with its order. The officials said the agency has created a dedicated email address, sandeshkhali@cbi.gov.in, which will serve as a platform for the people of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district to lodge their complaints.

"In pursuance to the order passed by the division bench of Calcutta High Court on April 10, 2024, the CBI has created a dedicated email in which complaints of persons of Sandeshkhali regarding crimes against women and forcible grabbing of land may be lodged," the CBI had said in a statement on Thursday.

The district magistrate has been urged to publicise the email ID extensively within the locality and issue a public notice in vernacular newspapers with wide circulation, it added.

The high court had on Wednesday ordered a court-monitored CBI investigation into allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali, saying an "impartial inquiry" was required in the interest of justice and fair play.

The court also directed the CBI to file a comprehensive report on the alleged illegal conversion of agricultural land into water bodies for pisciculture, after conducting a thorough inspection of the revenue records and a physical inspection of the land alleged to have been converted.

The court asked the central agency to submit a comprehensive report to it on the next date of hearing on May 2. The state government was directed to provide the required support to the CBI.

The agency is already probing three cases related to attacks on the Enforcement Directorate officials at Sandeshkhali allegedly by a mob instigated by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh.