Sandeshkhali: Supreme Court rejects PIL seeking probe into case
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain public interest litigation (PIL) seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or SIT probe into the case pertaining to alleged sexual assault cases in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali.
The apex court said that the high court has already taken suo moto cognisance of the issue.
Supreme Court refuses to entertain PIL seeking CBI or SIT probe into Sandeshkhali sexual assault
A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih said, “HC is seized of the matter. This cannot be a dual forum hearing. Let us see what relief the HC grants.”
Alakh Alok Srivastava, the lawyer, who moved the PIL, told ANI, “In PIL filed in Supreme Court on Sandheshkhali incident, the court refused to take cognizance of the matter as a similar matter is pending before Calcutta High Court. SC has asked me to file an application in Calcutta HC.
Sandeshkhali, a village in North 24 Parganas district of Bengal, has been witnessing massive protests over allegations of sexual abuse of women by a local TMC leader Shah Jahan Sheikh and his supporters.
Several women have accused Sheikh and his supporters of land grab and sexual assault.
The TMC leader is absconding ever since a mob, allegedly linked to him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a corruption case.
The Supreme Court order comes on a day the National Commission for Women (NCW) visited Sandeshkhali. “She (Mamata Banerjee) should resign and come here without any post, only then she will understand the pain of the women here,” NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma told reporters.
Earlier in the day, the Calcutta high court refused to take up for urgent hearing a PIL seeking protection to women residents of Sandeshkhali area over allegations of sexual atrocities on them by people owing allegiance to ruling Trinamool Congress.
A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam asked whether the petitioner is an elected representative like an MLA or a panchayat pradhan or a resident of Sandeshkhali or whether the person visited the affected place, saying that only attaching copies of newspaper reports with the petition will not be enough.
