Cops stop fact-finding team on way to Sandeshkhali in Bengal

Kolkata, February 25

Six members of an independent fact-finding committee led by former Chief Justice of Patna High Court L Narasimha Reddy were stopped by the police as they were proceeding to trouble-torn Sandeshkhali area in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district to probe alleged incidents of atrocities on women.

ISF leader held for vandalism

• The police on Sunday arrested ISF leader Ayesha Bibi from the Sandeshkhali area in North 24 Parganas district for her alleged involvement in burning poultry farms of arrested local TMC leader Shibaprasad Hazra. The police also detained a few villagers in the case

land grab: TMC leader detained

• The police on Sunday detained local TMC leader Ajit Maiti at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas on charges of land grab
• Maiti, considered a close aide of fugitive Shajahan Sheikh, was detained from the house of a civic volunteer where he had locked himself for four hours after being chased by villagers

Citing that Section 144 CrPC was in force in parts of Sandeshkhali and it would not be prudent to allow them access to the area even in groups of four-five, senior police officers stopped their convoy in the Bhojerhat area, which is around 52 km from the riverine area, on Basanti Highway.

Reddy, accompanied by former IPS officer Raj Pal Singh, former National Commission for Women member Charu Wali Khanna, advocates OP Vyas and Bhavna Bajaj, and senior journalist Sanjeev Nayak, sat on the wayside vowing to proceed to the area as high drama followed.

The six were detained by police and taken in a vehicle and later released, a police officer said. “This is completely illegal. We have told the police personnel as law-abiding citizens we will not break rules. No curfew has been imposed in Sandeshkhali. So we can go in two groups. At least two of our women members should be allowed to visit the females who had borne the brunt of atrocities of musclemen enjoying political patronage and impunity from police action in all these days till the media unravelled the shocking truth,” Reddy alleged.

The team was scheduled to visit Majherpara, Natun para, Patra para and Naskarpara Ras temple under the jurisdiction of Sandeshkhali police station limits. The committee is slated to submit a report to the constitutional authorities.

Meanwhile, a TMC delegation visited the trouble-torn Sandeshkhali in West Bengal for the second consecutive day on Sunday and heard the grievances of villagers who have been protesting against alleged atrocities by local leaders of the ruling party.

The delegation, comprising state ministers Partha Bhowmick and Sujit Bose, visited the Bermajur area, which witnessed violent protests recently, and sought one-and-a-half months from locals to address their grievances. The ministers also urged villagers in restive Sandeshkhali to come up with their demands.

Bhowmick and Bose addressed a gathering at a local temple. “Give us one-and-a-half months. We have promised that all land grab incidents, which had been reported, will be verified. We cannot solve all the problems in one go. To address the issues, there are official procedures that need time to be completed,” Bhowmik, the state irrigation minister, said. He said they were physically present at Sandeshkhali for the second day in a row to encourage everyone to come up with their grievances and claimed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was committed to “wipe tears of every resident of the area”.