The West Bengal government on Tuesday refused to hand over the custody of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and filed a petition with the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order.
This comes hours after the Calcutta HC ordered to transfer the investigation into an attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Sandeshkhali on January 5 from the West Bengal Police to the CBI.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Mani Singhvi, representing the West Bengal government, brought up the matter before a bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
The high court also ordered the West Bengal police to hand over Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh, also accused of land-grab and sexual violence in Sandeshkhali, to the CBI by 4.30 pm Tuesday.
The Calcutta High Court had on Monday reserved its judgment on a prayer by the ED for transfer of investigation to the CBI in cases related to the attack on ED officials when they went to raid the premises of TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh at Sandeshkhali.
Both the ED and the West Bengal government had moved separate appeals challenging a single bench order of January 17 ordering formation of a joint special investigation team (SIT) of the CBI and the state police to probe the attack on the ED officials.
On January 5, a mob attacked the Enforcement Directorate team in Sandeshkhali, resulting in several injuries. The attack took place when Sheikh Shahjahan's home was raided by ED officers.
The TMC leader was arrested by police on February 29, a day after the high court ordered that Sheikh, the main accused in alleged sexual atrocities on women and land grabbing at Sandeshkhali, can be arrested by the CBI, the ED or the West Bengal Police.
