Trinamool Congress suspends Sheikh Shahjahan for 6 years after arrest
KOLKATA, FEB 29 : The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday suspended Sheikh Shahjahan for six years after he was arrested by the West Bengal Police in connection with the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5.
TMC MP Derek O’Brien announced the decision to suspended Shahjahan shortly after his arrest. “We have decided to suspend Sheikh Shahjahan from the party for 6 years. As always, we walk the talk. We have set examples in the past, and we are doing so today,” the TMC MP said.
“But we dare the BJP to suspend leaders, who have corruption cases against them and have several criminal cases against them,” O’Brien said at a press conference.
Sheikh was the party convenor of Sandeshkhali assembly constituency and was also a member of TMC-held North 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad.
SHEIKH SHAHJAHAN ARRESTED
The TMC strongman, Sheikh Shahjahan, was arrested on Thursday morning after 55 days of being on the run and has been sent to 10 days in police custody. The 53-year-old Trinamool leader was picked up from the Minakhan area in North 24 Parganas, where he was hiding with his associates.
Following the remand, officials announced that the West Bengal CID has taken over the investigation into cases lodged against Shajahan Sheikh.
Shahjahan’s arrest comes three days after the Calcutta High Court criticised the state police for the delay in taking action against the Trinamool leader, stating that “he should be arrested” and making it clear that there was no stay order on his arrest.
SANDESHKHALI ALLEGATIONS
A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of land-grab and sexual assault under coercion. The riverine area has been embroiled in a series of protests for more than a month, demanding the arrest of Sheikh and his accomplices.
The BJP, which had earlier, accused the West Bengal Police of “protecting” the TMC leader from arrest, said that the Mamata Banerjee government was “forced to take action due to the continuous agitation by the BJP”.
West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said, “This is not arrest, this is a mutual adjustment” and said Shahjahan will get “5-star facilities in jail”.
-PTI
