Bengal CID flouts HC order, stops CBI

In an evening stand-off, the West Bengal CID today refused to hand over Sheikh Shahjahan, the main accused in the extortion, land grab and sexual assault of women in Sandeshkhali, to the CBI, despite the Calcutta High Court ordering the same.

- SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE

“The Bengal Police have been instructed to hand over Shahjahan and all relevant case materials by 4:30 pm today,” the High Court had said in its order in the morning.

The State Government – within an hour of the order given by Calcutta High Chief Justice’s Division Bench directing CID to hand over Sheikh Shahjahan to CBI before 4.30 pm today – rushed to the Supreme Court to stave off such an eventuality.

Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, leading the High Court bench, revoked a previous order establishing a Special Investigative Team comprising CBI and State police officials, transferring the case to the Central agency.

Both the Enforcement Directorate and the State separately challenged this decision; the Enforcement Directorate advocated for the case to be solely handled by the CBI, while the State preferred the police to conduct the investigation.