“It is surprising to the court that the police arrested a citizen on the basis of a complaint! If the police arrest someone on a complaint, why should the police not be arrested in the same process? Who will compensate a citizen who has been arrested for so long?” the bench of Justices Devangshu Basak and Mohammad Shabbar Rashidi said while granting unconditional bail to the Opposition politician who won from Sandeshkhali in the 2011 Assembly elections.
Though Sardar was arrested on February 11 from south Kolkata following a complaint lodged by TMC leader Shivprasad Hazra’s associate Bhanu Mandal on February 10, the FIR in this connection was registered a day before, sources said.
The bench told the state administration that failure to release the former MLA from jail on Tuesday would be treated as contempt of court. The court also directed the superintendent of the Basirhat police district to file a report on the case.
Advocate Sudipta Dasgupta, who appeared for Sardar, said, “The court questioned how an FIR was filed on February 9 and the complaint filed against him on February 10. Why the police officers who should not be arrested?”
Sardar, who was released from jail, on Tuesday evening, said, “I was arrested illegally. Our movement will go on till the people of Sandeshkhali get justice. People will respond to what Mamata Banerjee did with me and Opposition parties.”
Besides Sardar, BJP leader Bikash Singha was also arrested on charges of instigating unrest in Sandeshkhali. Also, three TMC leaders—Uttam Sardar, Shivprasad Hazra, and Ajit Maity—were arrested over allegations of land-grabbing and sexual assault on women.
Meanwhile, a delegation of people from various walks of life went to Sandeshkhali to talk to local people and victims of alleged sexual assaults.
Actor Devdut Ghosh said, “You can understand that they are from here. Rumours are being spread that they are lying.”
Badsha Maitro, also an actor, said, “We appreciate the struggle of the women of Sandeshkhali. I demand the release of the poor people who have been arrested. They are not anti-social. They have been tortured for a long time.”