PIL filed in Cal HC seeking deployment of Central armed forces at restive Sandeshkhali

Advocate Sangjukta Samanta filed the writ petition in the Calcutta High Court's double bench, comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Gaurang Kanth, on Friday, seeking immediate deployment of the central armed forces to restore peace and sanity in the restive Sandeshkhali, some 74 km south-east of this city.

The judges, while admitting the writ, said the hearing would be held on Monday, February 19.

Sandeshkhali has been on boil for over a week, and the people, mostly the women residents, have been demanding the arrest of the local TMC leader Sahjhan Sheikh and his associate Sbibu Hazra for their alleged sexutal torture and land grabbing of the poor tribal people.

The TMC leader, who has been on the list of arrest since January 6, allegedly orchestrated attacks on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) official and CRPF personnel who went to Sheikh's residence for a search operation in the alleged ration distribution scam across the state.

Sheikh's name cropped up following the arrest of Bengal minister Jyotipriya Mallick and three others close to the former food minister.

The women in Sandeshkhali recently began agitation against sexual torture and land grabbing, also demanding the deployment of central forces, since the state police allegedly failed to protest the safeguard of the villagers against some TMC leaders' reign of terror.

(With UNI Inputs)