Mamata ends public silence on Sandeshkhali turmoil, sends team to Shahjahan stronghold

"I sent our state women’s commission team there. They have submitted a report to me. Police have already started arresting those accused of spreading violence there,” the chief minister said at a helipad in Dumurjala, Howrah

Mamata Banerjee.: File Photo

Snehamoy Chakraborty, TT,  Calcutta, 13.02.24: Mamata Banerjee on Monday ended her public silence on the Sandeshkhali turmoil and got a state women’s commission team to visit the area where women have been protesting Trinamul's alleged reign of terror.

"I sent our state women’s commission team there. They have submitted a report to me. Police have already started arresting those accused of spreading violence there,” the chief minister said at a helipad in Dumurjala, Howrah.

“You have seen that the police arrested those with whom local people were angry and those who instigated violence,” she added before flying off to Arambagh, Hooghly, to attend an official event.

Sandeshkhali, a pocket of North 24-Parganas, had burst into the headlines in early January when an Enforcement Directorate team was attacked by a mob while trying to raid the home of Trinamul leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who has been in hiding since.

Since last week, women have been protesting in Sandeshkhali alleging sexual harassment by local Trinamul leaders loyal to Shahjahan, with the initial demonstrations accompanied by mob violence.

Mamata’s statement — on a day governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited Sandeshkhali — signalled an attempt to counter the BJP’s allegation that worsening law and order in Bengal had left women unsafe.

A Trinamul source admitted that the Sandeshkhali developments were an embarrassment to the party and that Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s all-India general secretary, had discussed the matter extensively.

“We began damage control a bit late in the day. After the meeting between Didi and Abhishek, the administration swung into action and arrests were made. That the state government is doing its bit was the central element in Didi’s comments today,” the source said.

Over the past three days, the police arrested three local leaders from the Trinamul, BJP and the CPM to try and regain control of law and order in the area.

However, the ruling party’s narrative about the administration doing its bit suffered a blow when arrested Trinamul leader Uttam Sardar, suspended for six years by the party, received bail from a Basirhat court, the police having not sought his custody.

He was later rearrested in another Sandeshkhali case following an Opposition outcry.

The BJP’s Basirhat district convener Bikash Sinha — who had been picked up on charges of fomenting trouble — also secured bail but he too was rearrested in a separate Sandeshkhali case. Former CPM legislator Nirapada Sardar remains in custody.

Both the CPM and the BJP accused the police of victimising their party leaders to shield Trinamul goons.

On Mamata’s instructions, a two-member team of the state women’s commission, led by chairperson Leena Gangopadhyay, arrived in Sandeshkhali and spoke to the protesting women, who accused Shahjahan and his associates of torturing and sexually harassing women.

“We spoke to around 50 women in private and noted down their versions. We will crosscheck them to determine whether all the allegations are true,” Gangopadhyay said.

A source said the commission had in its primary report said there had been no specific complaint of sexual harassment or rape so far.

Another source said Mamata had told the police to find the victims of the alleged sexual harassment, if any, and start legal action against the accused.

Sumit Kumar, DIG of Barasat whose jurisdiction includes Sandeshkhali, told journalists a police team had been formed to visit various localities and collect complaints.

“We have received four complaints so far. However, there is no complaint of rape,” Kumar said.