Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, the petitioner, argued that the High Court might face challenges in assembling a team of officers from outside the state. He also advocated for an order to establish a committee of former judges, similar to the approach taken in the case of Manipur violence.
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to consider a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) requesting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged sexual assault cases in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal. The Supreme Court noted that the high court had already taken suo moto cognizance of the matter.
The Sandeshkhali case pertains to a village in the North 24 Parganas district of Bengal, where significant protests have erupted over allegations of sexual abuse of women by a local TMC leader, Shah Jahan Sheikh, and his supporters. Multiple women have accused Sheikh and his supporters of both land grab and sexual assault. The TMC leader has been on the run since a mob, purportedly linked to him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials during a search of his premises in connection with a corruption case.
The Supreme Court’s decision coincided with a visit by the National Commission for Women (NCW) to Sandeshkhali. NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma, during the visit, called for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation, stating, “She should resign and come here without any post, only then will she understand the pain of the women here.”
Earlier the same day, the Calcutta High Court declined an urgent hearing for a PIL seeking protection for women residents of the Sandeshkhali area, who have alleged sexual atrocities by individuals affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress. The court questioned the petitioner’s status, emphasizing that merely attaching newspaper reports to the petition would not suffice without additional credentials such as being an elected representative or a resident of Sandeshkhali.
