Sandeshkhali: CBI lodges sexual harassment case against 'influential' persons

The CBI registered an FIR on Thursday after the Calcutta High Court ordered it to probe allegations of extortion, land grab, and sexual assault that surfaced from West Bengal's Sandeshkhali.

Sources said the case pertains to charges of sexual harassment, land grab and violence.

Five accused persons have been named in the FIR, while the rest are "unknown". The identity of the five accused has not been disclosed, but they are said to be influential persons.

Further details are awaited.

The action comes after the Calcutta High Court, on April 10, ordered a court-monitored CBI investigation into allegations of crimes against women and land-grabbing in Sandeshkhali, saying an "impartial inquiry" was required in the interest of justice and fair play.

The CBI had circulated an email ID for people to make complaints in such cases in which numerous complaints were received.

Last week, a ten-member team of the CBI visited Sandeshkhali to probe alleged crimes against women and land-grabbing.

Sandeshkhali, in Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, has been in the limelight since the beginning of this year after several women led protests against local strongman and now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides, accusing them of sexual assault and land grab.

Shahjahan went on the run almost immediately after the allegations against him and his aides broke. The TMC came under heavy fire from the BJP after it was seen as shielding him.

Shahjahan remained at large for 55 days till the Bengal Police arrested him on February 29 in connection with an attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team in Sandeshkhali on January 5. He was then suspended from the TMC for six years.

Following a directive by the Calcutta High Court, Bengal Police handed custody of Shahjahan to the CBI. He is now in jail.