New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday junked a plea filed by the West Bengal government against a Calcutta High Court order directing CBI enquiry into allegations of land-grabbing and sexual assault in the Sandeshkhali case.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi, representing the West Bengal government, submitted before a bench led by Justice B R Gavai, “far-reaching directions to the CBI at the most could be restricted to FIR 8 and FIR 9, where they relate to the ED officials…”.
Singhvi said the matter started with counter FIRs against ED officials and by ED officials and impugned direction by the high court covers everything. The bench, also comprising Justice K V Viswanathan, said “there is only special leave petition (SLP), which was already dismissed….what was the SLP which was dismissed”. Singhvi said that is in a different context and it was related to the first attack and added that the court gave a direction against 43 FIRs, the earliest of which was registered years ago.
The bench noted that all these are related to Sandeshkhali and added, “you don’t do anything for months’, you do not arrest that person…”. The bench further queried if FIR was registered 4 years back then when was the arrest made? The bench was informed that 42 chargesheets have been filed. The bench queried why is the state trying to protect somebody? Justice Gavai said the high court’s order is pertaining to all related incidents and it's not omnibus. After hearing Singhvi, Justice Gavai said: “Thank you, dismissed”. The bench made it clear that observations made must not influence CBI in investigating
The apex court was hearing a petition by West Bengal government against the Calcutta High Court order directing CBI to investigate the allegations of land-grabbing and sexual assault in Sandeshkhali by Shajahan Sheikh, a now-suspended member of the Trinamool Congress, and his followers.
On April 29, the Supreme Court had questioned the West Bengal government for moving before it challenging a direction to transfer the probe to the CBI into charges of mass sexual exploitation of women and land grab in Sandeshkhali allegedly by Shahjahan and others.
The Calcutta High Court had ordered for the CBI probe into charges of sexual exploitation of women and land grab made against suspended TMC leader Shahjahan and others in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district.
