Sandeshkhali Unrest: Sheikh Shahjahan Close-Aide Detained; TMC Asserts ‘Zero-Tolerance’ Against Crime

Ajit Maiti-- a local TMC leader and a close-aide of absconding strongman Sheikh Shahjahan-- is accused of land grabbing in the trouble-torn Sandeshkhali enclave in North 24 Parganas district, the West Bengal police said.

Sandeshkhali Unrest: The West Bengal Police Sunday detained Ajit Maiti– a local TMC leader and a close-aide of absconding strongman Sheikh Shahjahan– on the charged of land grabbing in the trouble-torn Sandeshkhali enclave in North 24 Parganas district.

A senior police officer said that Maiti, considered a close aide of fugitive Shajahan Sheikh, was detained from the residence of a civic volunteer where he had locked himself for over four hours after being chased by villagers.

The TMC leader is accused of land grabbing from villagers in the violence-hit region.

“We detained him following complaints of land grabbing by villagers. We will look into their complaints and then decide on arresting him,” the officer said.

Angry villagers had attacked Maiti a couple of days ago for his alleged ties with Shahjahan and his group, allegedly involved in land grabbing and torture of local women.

TMC not ‘shielding’ Sheikh

Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress Sunday refuted accusations of “shielding” Shahjahan and asserted that the party has “zero-tolerance policy” against crime and criminals.

Addressing a programme in Budge Budge, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee claimed that “few outsiders” were fomenting trouble and creating disturbances in the region ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

“The TMC is not shielding Shajahan Sheikh… We have a zero-tolerance policy against anyone committing any crime,” Banerjee said.

Opposition parties in the state have accused the ruling TMC of shielding Sheikh.

The riverine Sandeshkhali area in North 24 Parganas district has been on the boil for more than a month, with protests against Sheikh and his supporters over allegations of land grab and sexual abuse of locals.

Sandeshkhali unrest

Since the first week of February, villages in Sandeshkhali area in North 24 district have witnessed protests over allegations of sexual atrocities on women and land grabbing by TMC leaders.

The police have so far arrested 18 people including local TMC leader Shibu Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar in connection with the incidents of violence at Sandeshkhali. They have also added sections of ‘gangrape’ and ‘attempted murder’ against three of the prime accused, one of whom is still absconding.

The sections were added after a victim woman recorded her statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC.

A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused TMC strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of “land-grab and sexually assaulting” them under coercion.

Shajahan has been absconding after a mob, allegedly affiliated to him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a ration scam on January 5.

(With PTI inputs)