SC Refuses To Stay Calcutta HC Order To Transfer Sandeshkhali Case To CBI

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Calcutta High Court order transferring Sandeshkhali violence case, regarding the attack on officials of Enforcement Directorate (ED), to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, however, agreed to expunge remarks against the West Bengal Police in the high court order. During the hearing, the apex court asked the state government why the arrest of prime accused in the case, Shajahan Sheikh was delayed.

Earlier this month, the Calcutta High Court had ordered an independent probe by CBI into the matter and directed the West Bengal Police to hand over the accused Sheikh Shahjahan from the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department to the CBI on the same day.

The Bengal government filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court against the high court order, saying that the order to transfer the probe to the CBI was passed in a cursory manner and frustrates its right to avail remedy available under the law.

Meanwhile, Shahjahan Sheikh has been sent to CBI custody by Basirhat sub-divisional court.

The Sandeshkhali area, located on the outskirts of the Sunderbans, had been embroiled in unrest for more than a month following accusations against Sheikh and his associates of sexual misconduct and land encroachment. This region is under the jurisdiction of the Basirhat police district.