Sandeshkhali violence: TMC leader's court appearance today, security on alert
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, Shibu Prasad Hazra, was arrested on Saturday in the Sandeshkhali violence case in West Bengal. He is accused of sexually harassing women and is wanted in a land grab case in the area. With Hazra's arrest, 18 people have been arrested in the Sandeshkhali case so far, including Uttam Sardar, another TMC leader. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the area as Hazra is being produced in a local court on Sunday.
Why does this story matter?
Sandeshkhali grabbed headlines in February for protests against senior TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan. Popularly known as the "betaj badshah (brazen king)," Sheikh has been accused of committing atrocities. Locals have been demanding the arrest of Sheikh and his aides Hazra and Sardar. They also held protests and vandalized the leaders' properties. The situation took an ugly turn in recent days after allegations of rape of "young Hindu married women" emerged, prompting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s reaction as well.
Rape charges added to FIR against Hazra
According to reports, Hazra has been on the run since women in Sandeshkhali leveled allegations of sexual harassment against him. He was arrested from a hideout in Basirhat's Najat area on Saturday, according to the West Bengal Police. Hazra was previously booked under land grab charges and following the Sandeshkhali violence, police added rape charges to the FIR filed against him. Superintendent of Police Basirhat said police would seek his remand from a local court on Sunday.
Will assess security before lifting Section 144: DGP
After Hazra's arrest and the ongoing protests, Director General of Police West Bengal Rajeev Kumar said police would assess the security area-wise before lifting prohibitory orders. "There are some areas where Section 144 is not required...in a day or two, we will remove the prohibitory orders so that normalcy returns," he said. Separately, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose extended support to the aggrieved women of Sandeshkhali, encouraging them to contact the "Peace Room" in Raj Bhavan.
West Bengal government's response to violence
Earlier, the West Bengal government removed Deputy Inspector General (Barasat range) Sumit Kumar from his position following the violence in Sandeshkhali. However, state government officials claimed this was merely a "routine shuffle." Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh denounced the Sandeshkhali violence during the BJP National Convention 2024. "I consider such incidents to be a stain on civilized society. This should be strongly condemned," he said.
Child Rights Commission takes cognizance
On Saturday, a six-member team from the West Bengal Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) visited the troubled area to investigate child abuse allegations. Villagers claimed that wrongdoers snatched a seven-month-old baby from a mother's arms and threw it away. WBCPCR Chairperson Tulika Das stated, "We took suo motu cognizance to meet the family...they wanted food, medical support, and security. We have provided them with all that."
