Trinamool Leader Shahjahan Sheikh Arrested After Weeks of Evasion

Strongman Shahjahan Sheikh of the TMC, who has been missing for 55 days amid violent demonstrations led by local women and a bitter political battle, was apprehended in the early hours of Thursday. Sheikh is the major accused of sexual assault and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali.

Sheikh was detained from a home in Bamanpukur in the Minakhan police station area, around 30 kilometers from the island of Sandeshkhali on the edge of the Sunderbans in the North 24 Parganas district, according to Additional Director-General of Police (South Bengal), Supratim Sarkar.

According to the authorities, Sheikh and a couple of his friends were hiding in the residence.

He was transported to the Basirhat court after his detention, where he was given a ten-day police jail sentence.

Shahjahan was taken to the state CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhawan shortly after being placed under arrest.

At around 10.40 am, Sheikh—who has been the focus of a fierce political controversy—came out of the lock-up wearing a white kurta-pajama and proceeded to the courthouse, followed closely by police officers. Additionally, he gestured with his hand to the waiting media group.

He went back to the lock-up after the brief two-minute hearing. He was later taken by authorities to an unknown location.

The Calcutta High Court ordered that Sheikh be arrested by the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), or the West Bengal Police, and within 24 hours, Sheikh was placed under arrest.

There is always hope, according to Governor CV Ananda Bose, who on Monday night gave the state administration a 72-hour "deadline" for Sheikh's arrest. I'm happy with it." "This marks the start of the end. The cycle of violence in Bengal must be broken. Goons are in charge in certain areas of Bengal. The thugs need to be arrested and this has to stop," he said.

The BJP called it "scripted," while the Trinamul Congress maintained the arrest was feasible because the court cleared the way.

"He couldn't be taken into custody at first because of a legal problem. But the West Bengal Police carried out their duty when the court made it clear that there was no stay on his arrest. TMC spokesman Kunal Ghosh told PTI that the opposition has previously taken advantage of the prohibition on his detention.

"We had said he would be arrested in seven days as we were confident of the ability of the state police," he said.

The state police were allegedly compelled to detain Sheikh due to the opposition BJP's protests.

The state police and the TMC were the ones providing the offender with cover. He was taken into custody as part of a well planned narrative. Because of our persistent agitation, the state government was compelled to arrest him, according to BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar.

In connection with an attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) personnel on January 5 during a raid at his home in connection with a ration fraud case, police said Sheikh was detained in two complaints filed at the Nazat police station.

According to them, he was charged with violating IPC sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting while carrying a lethal weapon), 149 (illegal assembly), 307 (attempt to kill), 333 (anyone who willfully causes great harm to a public official), and 392 (robbery).

According to a police official, Sheikh was located using the tower location on his mobile phone.

"Shiekh was periodically shifting his location. The position of the tower on his mobile phone helped identify him," he claimed.

To stop the situation from becoming worse, more police officers were stationed in certain areas of Sandeshkhali, which Sheikh is said to have turned into his fief during the last ten years. Section 144 of the CrPC also imposed prohibitions in 49 locations around the island.

Since Sheikh has been evading capture for a significant amount of time, a division bench led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam issued an order on Wednesday stating that it would be "open to the CBI or the ED also to arrest" the runaway.

The state police were ordered to arrest him by the top court on Monday.

Amit Malviya, the co-incharge of the BJP in West Bengal, also claimed that Sheikh was detained by the state police in order to "preclude" the ED and CBI from obtaining him.

Malviya, who also leads the BJP's IT Cell, addressed X and questioned: "Is this an arrest? Sheikh Shahjahan is being escorted by WB Police in the same manner as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Sheikh Shahjahan has been protected by WB Police for the whole time." "Mamata Banerjee's police got control of Sheikh Shahjahan as soon as the Calcutta High Court gave the ED and CBI permission to apprehend him. They rushed him to a local court so that the attorneys from the ED and CBI could not enter. It makes sense why the ladies of #Sandeshkhali don't trust Mamata Banerjee," he said.

Over 100 complaints against Sheikh have been filed, according to the police, throughout the last two weeks, after violent demonstrations organized by women calling for his arrest.

Based on these allegations, many charges have been brought against Sheikh and his companions, including 376D (gang rape).

Prior to this, his close associates Uttam Sardar and Shibaprasad Hazra were detained on similar allegations.

Ajit Maiti, another accomplice of his, was detained in relation to the land grabbing accusations.

According to the police, the majority of the complainants said that Shahjahan had mistreated the local women and had taken land from them by force.

Since the ED team was assaulted by a crowd of around 1,000 people on January 5, Sheikh has been on the loose.