Amid the row over Sandeshkhali, Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has said that his party is not protecting absconding leader Shajahan Sheikh. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is putting pressure on the ruling Trinamool Congress government in Bengal to arrest Shahjahan.
The TMC leader was at the center of the debate following allegations by women and locals of land grabbing and sexual abuse. Women protesters in Sandeshkhali are seeking justice against the alleged atrocities committed by TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides.
The West Bengal government has received more than 500 complaints about land grabbing from villagers of Sandeshkhali so far in the past week. Sheikh has remained elusive since a mob attack on Enforcement Directorate officials on January 5.
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Sandeshkhali case: Here are 5 updates
- Six members of an independent inquiry committee were arrested at Bhojerhat in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on their way to Sandeshkhali on Sunday afternoon. The team was led by Justice Narsimha Reddy, former Chief Justice of Patna High Court with members Charu Bali Khanna, Bhavna Bajaj, OP Vyas, Rajpal Singh, Aparna Banerjee and Bandana Biswas.
WB: Independent investigation team set out to arrest Sandeshkhali by police
- West Bengal police have arrested local TMC leader Ajit Maiti in Sandeshkhali on charges of land grabbing from villagers. Maiti, believed to be a close aide of fugitive Shajahan Sheikh, was held at the home of a civilian volunteer where he locked himself for over four hours after being chased by villagers.
- The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) said it has received 50 complaints of “sexual abuse and land grabbing” by tribal families against TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates.
Sandeshkhali villagers knock off TMC MLA Ajit Maity with slippers | Video
- . than 1,250 complaints, including 400 over land disputes, have been received in government camps in West Bengal's restive Sandeshkhali region. According to Arun Kumar Samanta, the BDO of Sandeshkhali Block 2, his office has received more than 1,000 complaints.
'Land grab' that brought Mamata Banerjee to power is now challenging TMC in Bengal
- About Shahjahan Sheikh: The TMC leader is popularly known as “Bhai”, who started as a small-time laborer in the fisheries of Sandeshkhali block in North 24 Parganas, near the Bangladesh border. He entered politics in 2004 as a union leader in the brick kilns. Later, he joined the local CPI(M) unit. Known for his fiery speeches and organizational skills, Sheikh caught the attention of the Trinamool Congress leadership in 2012. In 2018, Sheikh rose to prominence as deputy head of the Sarberia Agarhati gram panchayat. His younger brothers are also active TMC workers. They also manage his affairs, including land transactions.
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Published: Feb 26, 2024 08:28 IST