North 24 Parganas (West Bengal): This river-bound remote hamlet in the Sunderbans has been at the centre of action in West Bengal for nearly two months. Since January 5, when a section of people owing allegiance to Trinamool Congress strongman Sheikh Shahjahan targeted a team of Enforcement Directorate officials when they had gone on a raid at Shahjahan's house, villagers had alleged police inaction, land-grabbing, physical abuse and harassment.
Protestors, mostly women, who had taken up sticks, tree branches and brooms had rampaged property owned by Trinamool Congress supporters. Today, as news of Shahjahan's arrest trickled in, the same women erupted in joy. Scenes of jubilation, distribution of sweets and smearing one another with gulal were witnessed in several areas of Bermojur, Natunpara, Jeliakhali and others. Many women were also seen blowing conch shells in the early hours of Sandeshkhali.
As the day progressed and it was time for the police to produce the 'mastermind of Sandeshkhali' in front of a magistrate in Basirhat court, some bizzare scenes were witnessed. Barely an hour ago Additional Director General of Police (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar had told reporters that Shahjahan was arrested late on Wednesday night from a house in Bamanpukur within the limits of Minakhan police station, around 30km from Sandeshkhali.
Around 10.40am, when finally Shahjahan was brought to the court, he appeared calm and composed. Clean shaved and dressed in crisp white shirt and trousers, paired with a half-sleeved jacket, the most-wanted man of North 24 Parganas district walked briskly along the corridor and went inside the court. There was no existence of any handcuffs or restraints, normally associated with an arrested person while produced before the court.
This prompted the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari to take to X and saying, "Told you so yesterday....Sheikh Shahjahan is in the safe custody of Mamata Police. His so-called arrest (on the 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."
BJP's co-incharge of West Bengal and the party's IT cell head Amit Malviya also took to X and said, "Is this an arrest? B Police is escorting Sheikh Shahjahan like they would escort CM Mamata Banerjee."
"All these days, Sheikh Shahjahan was under the protection of WB Police. As soon as Calcutta High Court allowed EC and CBI to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, Mamata Banerjee's police took control of him. They hurriedly took him to local Court, to preclude ED and CBI lawyers from getting in. No wonder women of #Sandeshkhali have no faith in Mamata Banerjee," Malviya said.
With the court remanding Shahjahan to 10 days police custody, the Trinamool COngress strongman was whisked from Basirhat to the CID headquarters in Kolkata's Bhabani Bhavan. Shahjahan has been booked under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 147 (guilty of rioting), 392 (robbery), 148 (guilty of rioting being armed with a deadly weapon) among a total of 34 other sections.
Several cases, including that of 376D (gang rape) have also been filed against Shahjahan and his associates in Nazat and Sandeshkhali police stations, based on complaints from the villagers. Sources in the police have said that during initial interrogation, Sheikh Shahjahan has admitted to planning the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on January 5 last, out of fear of arrest.
The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which has taken up investigation, now wants to grill Shahjahan to know in detail about his alleged connections with other police officers in the Sunderbans as well as his activities in the fisheries industry.
The Trinamool Congress has suspended Sheikh Shahjahan for six years from the party. The police have today arrested another accomplice of Shahjahan, Sheikh Amir Ali Ghazi, from a location near Bengal-Jharkhand border. With Shahjahan behind bars, Sandeshkhali is now waiting for his brother, Sirajuddin's arrest.
Siraj, who had earned the moniker of 'Chote Nawab' because of his relation with Shahjahan, has also been accused of land grabbing, assault and abuse. Over 100 complaints against Siraj have already been filed at the police camp set up in Sandeshkhali after violent protests broke out in the island hamlet.
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