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After the Crime Investigation Department handed over the suspended Trinamool Congress strongman Sheikh Shahjahan to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), West Bengal MLA Agnimitra Paul alleged that If Shahjahan opens his mouth, a lot of things will be revealed about the state government.
Shahjahan, accused of extortion, land grab, and sexual assault in Sandeshkhali, was handed over to the CBI on Wednesday, following the Calcutta High Court's directive. Issuing a contempt notice to the West Bengal CID, the Calcutta High Court observed on Wednesday that an investigation into the attack on ED officials should be handed over to the CBI and the custody of accused Sheikh Shahjahan be done today. Hitting out at CM Banerjee for protecting Sheikh, Paul said, "Mamata Banerjee is protecting him because if a goon like Sheikh Shahjahan opens his mouth, a lot of things will be disclosed about the state government in the open. Why does this government need him? What does a government that runs West Bengal have to do with a goon?" The BJP leader accused the suspended TMC strongman of influencing the people of the state to vote for TMC with the use of force. "Lok Sabha elections will be held soon. Sheikh Shahjahan and his goons go to every household in Basirhat and adjoining areas, threaten them, shoot them and dissuade them from voting for the BJP. Sheikh Shahjahan does all illegal businesses. Its funding benefits the government," she said. Alleging that CM Banerjee provides official documents to Rohingyas, Paul said, "Last but not least, he (Sheikh) brings Rohingyas from the borders. Nationalist Muslims in West Bengal will not vote for TMC. Rohingyas will vote for them; Mamata Banerjee gets an Aadhaar card, a voter card, and a ration card for them. So, she is scared that if Sheikh Shahjahan is caught, he will spill everything with a little force." Earlier in the day, the Calcutta High Court also observed that state police have played hide and seek in the matter. The Bengal government earlier refused to hand over custody of Shahjahan to the CBI despite a Calcutta High Court order Tuesday to the police's criminal investigation department, or CID. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government on Wednesday sought an urgent hearing of its plea in the Supreme Court challenging a Calcutta High Court order that directed a CBI probe into the Sandeshkhali matter pertaining to an attack on Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali on January 5 this year. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the women victims of sexual assault in Sandeshkhali village of West Bengal on Wednesday, sources said. The sources further added, "They put forward their ordeal and the Prime Minister heard them patiently like a father figure. The victims were very emotional with the fact that the PM understood their pain". After meeting PM Modi, the Sandeshkhali victim told ANI, "Thanking Prime Minister Modi, we told him openly about the atrocities being committed against every person. We told the Prime Minister how we were tortured... He assured us of help. We voted the Chief Minister to victory but she insulted us. She did not even talk to us. We felt very good after talking to PM Modi. We requested him to deploy the Central Force here because we have no faith in the state government." After weeks of no action, on February 29, Sheikh was arrested by West Bengal police, after which West Bengal's Basirhat Court remanded him to 10-day police custody. (ANI)
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