Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari reached West Bengal's Sandeshkhali today after being given a green signal by the Calcutta High Court to make a visit to the town where multiple women have levelled allegations of land grabbing and sexual assault by ruling TMC's Shajahan Sheikh.
Suvendu Adhikari was briefly stopped by authorities in Dhamakhali, North 24 Parganas district, on Tuesday when he was on his way to Sandeshkhali.
The police stopped Adhikari from going to the trouble-torn area, where prohibitory orders have been imposed, stating the government has moved a division bench challenging the Calcutta High Court order that allowed him to visit the area.
After Adhikari moved the court again over the matter on Tueday, a division bench of the Calcutta HC allowed him visit Sandeshkhali village. The division bench presided by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam refused to interfere into a single bench order that allowed Adhikari and another BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh to visit Sandeshkhali on Tuesday.
"The police have violated the Calcutta High Court order allowing me to visit Sandeshkhali. The police are saying that Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed and the state government has moved the division bench challenging the Calcutta High Court order. I will protest here and then move the court," news agency PTI quoted Adhikari as saying.
A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.
Shajahan has been absconding after a mob, allegedly affiliated with him, attacked Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a ration scam on January 5.
