SC Refuses To Stay Calcutta HC Order Transferring Sandeshkhali Case To CBI – News18

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Calcutta High Court order transferring the Sandeskhali violence case, pertaining to the attack on officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, however, agreed to expunge remarks against the West Bengal Police in the high court order.

On March 5, the Calcutta High Court had ordered an independent probe by CBI into the matter and directed the West Bengal Police to hand over the accused mastermind behind the attack– Sheikh Shahjahan– from the custody of the CID to the CBI on the same day.

Against this, the West Bengal government filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court saying that the High Court order to transfer the probe to the CBI was passed in a cursory manner and frustrates its right to avail remedy available under the law.

The Sandeshkhali region, situated on the fringes of the Sunderbans, had been engulfed in turmoil for over a month due to allegations against Sheikh and his associates of sexual abuse and land usurpation. The area falls under the jurisdiction of the Basirhat police district.