The bench of Justice Jay Sengupta, however, ordered the deployment of additional armed police personnel in Sandeshkhali where a clash broke out on Tuesday between police and BJP workers who were demanding action on allegations that women were sexually harassed in the area.
Meanwhile, another single-judge bench of the High Court took suo motu cognisance of claims of sexual assault on women “at gunpoint”, and of the alleged transfer of tribal land in Sandeshkhali. Justice Apurba Sinha Roy directed that notices be issued to the state government, senior police and administrative officials in this regard.
Soon after the High Court’s order, the Opposition parties slammed the TMC government in the state for imposing Section 144 in Sandeshkhali-I and Sandeshkhali-II blocks.
Party state president Sukanta Majumder said, “We welcome the High Court’s decision. This government wants to suppress all the allegations against the ruling party’s leaders.”
Congress state president Adhir Chowdhury said, “The state administration is shameless. The Chief Minister is indifferent to the whole thing. She only wants to ensure that no Opposition party goes there so that the ruling party’s goons can hide all the evidence.”
CPIM’s Sujan Chakraborty said, “The High Court order proves that the police are working as cadres of the ruling party.”
Defending the ruling dispensation, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh claimed that the CPIM and the BJP are indulging in hooliganism in Sandeshkhali as they want to create unrest in the state. “People will answer them appropriately.”
Tension simmered in Basirhat subdivision, including Sandeshkhali, on Tuesday during a protest by BJP workers led by state party president Sukanta Majumder against the alleged sexual harassment of women.
As they marched towards the Superintendent of Police’s office, the protesters reportedly broke through barricades, leading to clashes with police. The CPIM and other Left parties announced to stage protests in every district over Sandeshkhali on Tuesday. A clash broke out in front of the Berhampore District Magistrate’s office during the CPIM supporters’ protest. The protesting workers also broke through barricades, prompting the police to resort to lathi-charge and firing teargas shells at them.
Sandeshkhali, straddling two blocks of North 24 Parganas district, has been in the news since a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was attacked on January 5 allegedly by the supporters of local Trinamool Congress leader and strongman Sheikh Shahjahan when they arrived to raid his residence in connection with an alleged ration scam. Three officials were injured in the attack.
Shahjahan has been absconding since.
On February 8, women in Sandeshkhali took to the streets with brooms and sticks, demanding the immediate arrest of the TMC strongman and two of his associates Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.
The next day, the protesters attacked properties belonging to Hazra and set fire his poultry farms on fire. Local residents said the poultry farm was set up on a parcel of land the TMC leader had allegedly usurped.
Local women also alleged that Shahjahan and his aides had assaulted and exploited them for years.
On February 10 (Saturday), Section 144 of CrPC was imposed in different pockets of Sandeshkhali, and an internet shutdown in 16 panchayats.