By – Prakarsh Kastwar
After multiple women made grave accusations of sexual assault by TMC leader Sheikh Shajahan and his associates on February 8, the village has been in the spotlight.
Kolkata : Following a complaint from a woman who made her statement before a judicial magistrate against the two Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, the West Bengal Police have opened a second first information report (FIR) in the Sandeshkhali case on allegations of gang rape, according to officials familiar with the case on Wednesday.
Police filed section 376d charges of gang rape against Uttam Sardar and Shibaprasad Hazra, two TMC leaders, on Saturday. According to police, a second formal complaint has been filed against Hazra and his two assistants, Amir Ali Gaji and Bhanu Mondol.
Hazra, one of the main suspects in the alleged land grab and sexual harassment case, was arrested on Saturday and is currently in police custody, while Sardar was arrested earlier this month.
Sandeshkhali, a village in North 24 Parganas district, has become the newest flashpoint between the TMC led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Lok Sabha election.
The town has been in uproar since February 8, when many women accused TMC strongman Sheikh Shajahan and his accomplices of sexual abuse.
Shajahan has been on the run since his supporters attacked Enforcement Directorate investigators on January 5, when they went to search his home in connection with a ration scam investigation.
Villagers claim that the TMC leader and his cronies violently took their fields and converted them into fish farms.
Meanwhile, West Bengal director general and inspector general of police Rajeev Kumar, along with other senior officials such as senior IPS officer Supratim Sarkar, ADG (South Bengal), and HM Rehman, Basirhat district superintendent of police, visited the riot-hit areas of Sandeshkhali in light of the current situation.
“Earlier in the day, he toured some of the localities in Sandeshkhali and interacted with the people as well as civic police volunteers stationed there. He also spoke with senior authorities at the Sandeshkhali police station, according to a police officer familiar with the situation.
On Tuesday, police issued new prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in 12 Sandeshkhali areas.
“We’ve also installed approximately ten CCTV cameras in five locations. Large police contingents remain positioned in the villages. We are reviewing the problem. Another district official stated that the pockets where prohibitory orders have been placed will be returned to their owners soon.