The Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge by the West Bengal Government, allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI to continue its probe into the sexual assault and land-grabbing allegations against Sandeshkhali strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates.
A Bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan questioned the Mamata Banerjee Government’s interest in protecting an individual implicated in such serious charges.
Shahjahan Sheikh, arrested by the CBI in February after a tense standoff with Bengal Police, was subsequently suspended from the Trinamool party for six years. The Calcutta High Court, in April, ordered a CBI investigation into 42 cases against Shahjahan and his aides, including a ration scam, citing the complexity and need for an impartial probe.
The West Bengal Government contested this order in the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court’s decision. The Supreme Court, on April 29, had questioned the State’s involvement in defending an individual, a point reiterated during the latest hearing.
Senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi, representing the Bengal Government, argued that the High Court’s directive for a CBI investigation should have been limited to two specific FIRs related to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and not extended to other alleged offences.
However, the Bench remained unconvinced, with Justice Gavai pointing out the State’s prolonged inaction and questioning its motive for protecting Shahjahan.
Despite Singhvi’s objections to several remarks in the High Court order and his assertion that substantial work had been done regarding the ration scam, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s ruling. Nevertheless, the Court stipulated that comments made about the West Bengal Government and police should not influence the CBI’s investigation.
The Sandeshkhali case involves multiple allegations, including sexual assault, land grabbing, and a ration scam. The CBI is also investigating an attack on an Enforcement Directorate team by Shahjahan’s supporters, which resulted in injuries to several officers.
As allegations against Shahjahan emerged, he went into hiding, and the Trinamool was accused of shielding him, drawing heavy criticism from the Opposition. The political controversy intensified ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, with the BJP fielding a local woman candidate from the Basirhat constituency, although she ultimately lost the election.
