The central investigative agency has formally assumed control of a 2019 post-election violence case in Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, where a mob supposedly directed by the now-incarcerated and suspended Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh killed three BJP workers – Pradeep Mondal, Devdas Mondal, and Sukanta Mondal.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a first information report (FIR) on Saturday following the Calcutta High Court’s order on June 30, directing the probe agency to form a special investigation team (SIT) to examine the case with “seriousness.”
Justice Joy Sengupta, in his ruling, voiced apprehension regarding the West Bengal Police and the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) management of the case, declaring that a “gross miscarriage of justice” occurred because they did not take action against the principal accused.
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Three BJP workers were reportedly killed in post-election violence in Sandeshkhali in 2019, when a crowd allegedly led by Sheikh attacked their village. The CID initially looked into the case; however, the families of the victims later requested the High Court to initiate a CBI investigation.
Sheikh was arrested on January 5, 2024
Shahjahan Sheikh, who faces multiple charges including land grabbing and sexual violence against women in Sandeshkhali, has been in judicial custody since January 5, 2024. He was detained after an alleged assault on ED officials during a search at his home related to a multi-crore ration distribution fraud.
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The CBI is currently looking into multiple other cases related to the assault on the ED team. The inclusion of the 2019 triple murder investigation is anticipated to heighten the agency’s scrutiny of Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates.
Sandeshkhali, a river area in the North 24 Parganas district, has been the focus of serious claims of political violence and local intimidation, with numerous women alleging that Sheikh and his associates engaged in land grabbing and sexual abuse.
