National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Saturday sent a spot inquiry report to the state government and the state police regarding the Sandeshkhali incident and has asked them to file an action taken report on 12 of its recommendations within eight weeks.
The report was sent after the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday ordered a court monitored CBI probe in all the cases related to Sandeshkhali.
Sandeshkhali in North 24 parganas has been in the headlines since January 5 after Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were beaten up while they went to raid suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikhs house in connection to the multicrore ration distribution scam.
In February the women of Sandeshkhali started protesting against sexual harassment and land grab by Shahjahan and his associates.
An NHRC delegation led by Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, visited the site on February 23 and stayed there for two days, visited all the spots and had also spoken with the local people.
The villagers faced assault, threat, sexual exploitation, land grabbing, and forced unpaid labour following which several people were forced to leave the village and stayed away from Sandeshkhali, noted the spot inquiry report of NHRC The NHRC also mentions that several villagers complained that they were not able to cast their votes and unknown miscreants voted on their behalf.
It also spoke of villagers' complaints against the police, saying that the police didnt cooperate with the villagers when they went to complain against Shahjahan and his associates Shibaprasad and Uttam. Meanwhile, following courts order, CBI has issued a press statement where the central agency has mentioned they have taken steps to comply with the orders of the Court regarding complaints of crime against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali.
In pursuance of the order dated 10.04.2024 passed by the Division bench of Calcutta High Court, CBI has created a dedicated email ID "sandeshkhali@cbi.gov.in" on which the complaints of the persons of Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal regarding crime against women and forcible grabbing of land may be lodged, read the statement.
