Kolkata, March 19 (IANS) A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Thursday, rejected the bail plea of Sheikh Shahjahan, the suspended Trinamool Congress leader from Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal and the principal accused in the case of the assault on the Enforcement Department (ED) officials in January 2024.

The ED officials and their escorting Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel were attacked and severely assaulted by Shahjahan’s supporters when they went to conduct a raid and search operations at his residence in connection with the multi-crore PDS distribution case in the state.

Later, other charges relating to illegal land grabbing at Sandeshkhali, illegal conversion of farmland into pisciculture farms by flowing in saline water, and most importantly, sexual assault of the women of Sandeshkhali were slapped against him.

He was arrested initially by the West Bengal Police and was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which was probing the matter.

On Thursday, after Shahjahan moved the bail petition at the Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh, the CBI counsel opposed the bail petition, contending that, if released on bail, he would definitely try to influence the witnesses in the case registered against him and also tamper with the evidence.

The CBI counsel also argued that even from behind bars, he had earlier tried to threaten and even murder the son of the key witnesses through his underworld associates, who are yet to be behind bars.

Justice Ghosh finally accepted the argument and rejected the bail plea of Shahjahan. However, the single-judge bench observed that Shahjahan will have the right to move a fresh bail plea in the future, depending on the progress of the investigation and new facts revealed.

In the matter of the assault on the ED officials, initially, the Trinamool Congress leadership, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tried to defend him. However, following prolonged movement by the women of Sandeshkhali during a major part of 2024, finally the ruling party leadership suspended Shahjahan from the party.

Since then, Shahjahan has filed bail petitions in various courts several times. But his bail pleas have been rejected.

--IANS

src/dpb