New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL seeking a court-monitored CBI or SIT probe into recent violence in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali village. It said Calcutta high court has already taken suo motu cognisance of the incident, and asked petitioner to approach HC. “Local high court will be best to assess situation. Let there be no dual forums,” SC said.
Petitioner-lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava said SC had earlier formed a committee of three former women high court judges to oversee probe, relief and remedial measures in violence-hit Manipur. Srivastava alleged disturbing incidents, too, have come to light in Sandeshkhali where a number of women claimed they had been raped.
“Please do not compare with what happened in Manipur to what happened here,” a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih said.
TMC leader held for rape, murder bid
Trinamool Congress functionary Shibaprasad (Shibu) Hazra was arrested in Sandeshkhali after a court allowed Bengal police to add gang rape and attempt-to-murder charges against him and fellow party functionary Uttam Sardar, who is already in custody. Hazra, the Sandeshkhali II block president, and Sardar, a zilla parishad member, are close aides of fugitive TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan.
The developments unfolded swiftly after a woman, who had earlier lodged a complaint of molestation against the duo, alleged gang rape and attempt to murder in an in-camera statement before a judicial magistrate. The developments came amid scrutiny by multiple agencies in Sandeshkhali Block II, where women have been protesting against Hazra and Sardar, keeping the area in Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district tense for the past few days.
Sandeshkhali has been witnessing protests since Feb 7 against the associates of Shahjahan, who has evaded authorities since Jan 5 when villagers attacked and wounded three ED officers during a search operation at his home as part of an investigation into an alleged ration scam.
Governor seeks SIT probe
Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose called for a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged sexual assault of women. The Governor's remarks came days after he visited the trouble-torn area and met the protesting women. Bose assured the "tortured" women, who tied rakhis on his wrist, all possible help to get justice.
Several workers and supporters of the BJP clashed with police personnel in another part of North 24 Parganas district. Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar was injured during a protest programme in Taki area. Majumdar suffered minor injuries after he fell on a car's bonnet after being "pushed" by an unidentified woman.
Situation alarming: NCW team
National Commission for Women said its fact-finding mission to Sandeshkhali came across disturbing testimonies of women in the village, which painted a harrowing picture of widespread fear and systematic abuse.
In a statement, NCW condemned the “deplorable conditions” witnessed by its team which visited the area on February 12 to assess actions taken by local authorities in response to reports of egregious violence and intimidation against women in the area.