Woman seeks SC-led probe into sting, ‘fake rape plaints’
Times of India | 14 May 2024
Kolkata: A woman from Sandeshkhali has moved the Supreme Court for a court-monitored probe into the Sandeshkhali incidents including the recent sting videos and the rape complaints filed by three women who later claimed they were “coerced” to into signing blank papers. The petition sought an urgent hearing. The matter is likely to be mentioned before a bench of justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta this week.
On Monday, Bengal advocate general Kishore Datta informed Calcutta High Court’s Justice Jay Sengupta about the woman’s plea.Justice Sengupta was hearing the petition filed by BJP Sandeshkhali block II president Gangadhar Koyal, seeking quashing of FIRs and security. Koyal had claimed that he feared for his life after the sting video surfaced and alleged that the voice in the sting videos was “AI-generated”.
Justice Sengupta had said that the HC division bench, which was hearing the Sandeshkhali matter, should hear Koyal’s plea too. Koyal, however, argued there was no legal bar in Justice Sengupta hearing the case. The judge said he would hear the matter on Tuesday at 2 pm.
The Supreme Court had in April 29 taken up Bengal govt’s challenge to the Calcutta HC order directing for a court-monitored CBI probe in the Sandeshkhali issue. The apex court had asked the state why it was filing an appeal when the person aggrieved by the HC order was a private person (Sandeshkhali strongman Sheikh Shahjahan) and had set a July date to hear the matter again. However, on May 4, a sting video surfaced where Koyal was seen speaking about the role of BJP seniors in Sandeshkhali.