Sheikh Shahjahan Arrest: TMC's List Of Facts Challenges BJP 'Propaganda' After Calcutta HC Order

sheikh shahjahan arrest: tmc’s list of facts challenges bjp ‘propaganda’ after calcutta hc order

Just shortly after the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal Police to arrest Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh, the TMC released a list of facts, aiming to counter what they describe as “propaganda” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies. The TMC highlighted several key points to provide clarity on the legal proceedings and challenges the narrative being presented by certain sections of the media and judiciary.

The TMC emphasised that a Calcutta High Court order had restrained law enforcement agencies under the West Bengal Government from taking action against Shahjahan Sheikh, a central figure in the Sandeshkhali incident.

The party drew attention to the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising representatives from both the state police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to probe the matter. However, the Chief Justice’s Bench of the Calcutta High Court reportedly stayed the proceedings on February 7, a day before the eruption of violence in Sandeshkhali. The TMC suggested collusion between certain media outlets, the BJP, and sections of the judiciary in tarnishing Bengal’s image.

The TMC claimed that only after raising concerns did the High Court issue a clarification, stating that there is no restriction on Sheikh Shahjahan’s arrest. However, they expressed caution that the police’s authority to act remains contingent on the court refraining from curtailing the police’s powers.

Highlighting the court’s statement today, the TMC asserted that the removal of obstruction paves the way for the State police to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, expressing confidence that this will happen within a week.

The TMC revealed that an FIR against Shahjahan had already been filed by the State police in Basirhat Police Station, affirming their commitment to bringing him to justice regardless of his whereabouts.

The party also took a swipe at the Narendra Modi government, contrasting its own action against Sudipto Sen, highlighting it as the efficiency of the West Bengal police under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government, with the alleged failures of the central government in apprehending figures like “Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, and Mehul Choksi”.

In response, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury questioned the TMC’s approach, suggesting that if the state government was willing, they could have moved to the Supreme Court to address any stay imposed by the High Court on the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan. Chowdhury implied that smaller figures are being targeted while the main player, Sheikh Shahjahan, is being protected for potential political gains in the upcoming elections.