Kolkata: After a secret statement by an alleged affected woman in Sandeshkhali to a court’s magistrate, gangrape sections were added in FIR against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shibaprasad Hazra and suspended TMC leader Uttam Sardar.
Following the new section in the FIR, Nazat police arrested TMC block president Shibaprasad Hazra who will be produced before Basirhat court on Sunday.
Notably, suspended TMC leader Uttam Sardar has already been in police custody for the last week.
Expressing partial relief, the women of the area were heard demanding the arrest of TMC’s Shahjahan Sheikh as well.
Addressing the media, DG Rajeev Kumar assured that no one will escape doing crime.
“There will be camps set up there. We will be visiting places, and any evidence we get, we will act on it. No one can escape doing crime. They will be booked. We will talk with women and will record their voices. We will establish the truth. Section 144 CrPc is imposed to maintain peace in Sandeshkhali,” said Kumar.
Asked about TMC leader Shahjahan Seikh to which Kumar said, “There is a case that is done by ED. Have they arrested him? The case which was registered by us, has been stopped by the ED. There is no denying the fact that incidents may have happened when there are so many resources, it means that there is something wrong, and we are trying to address that.”
"Police is doing their duty": TMC
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “With this arrest it is proven that the police are doing their duty. In Madhya Pradesh, a pregnant woman was gang-raped and set on fire. What action did the BJP government take there? They are creating unnecessary tension here.”
Earlier this day, the state Commission for the protection of Child Rights visited Sandeshkhali after complaints came that a baby was forcibly dropped from her mother’s lap.
“The police came in the wee hours in search of my husband. My husband said that they should come in the morning after which they tried to break open the door crashed the window glass dropped my baby from my lap and assaulted me. The only mistake my husband made was that we are BJP supporters,” said a lady.
Sudeshna Roy of the State Commission for protection of Child Rights said that the possibility of ‘slipping down’ from the lap is also being checked.
“We have given them our numbers and have arranged for food for the baby. We have heard the problems and have assured of all help and protection,” mentioned Roy.
Meanwhile, three TMC ministers will visit Sandeshkhali on Sunday to finalise a venue of a public meeting of TMC on March 3 where the party is expecting at least one lakh people.
Crying foul, the opposition claimed that the TMC leaders were visiting to ‘intimidate’ the villagers.
