Adding a new twist to the face-off between Bengal police and the CBI over the custody of Sandeshkhali strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, the Calcutta High Court today set a new deadline for the Bengal cops to hand him over to the central agency.
A bench of Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya has now asked Bengal police to hand over Shahjahan's custody to CBI by 4.15 pm today.
The high court had yesterday asked Bengal police to hand over the expelled Trinamool Congress leader to the CBI by 4,30 pm. The Mamata Banerjee government challenged the ruling in the Supreme Court. When a CBI team reached to take Shahjahan's custody yesterday, it was told that the matter is before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, however, turned down the Bengal government's request for an urgent hearing.
The state government has said that the high court order is against the concept of federalism. Appearing for the Bengal government, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "Urgency is that they wanted overnight compliance in an interim order." A bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna has now asked the state government to raise the matter before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for listing of the petition.
The high court today noted that it is serious about the implementation of its order. "The Supreme Court has not ordered a stay. So Shahjahan must be handed over to the CBI by 4.15 pm today," it said.
The high court also issued a notice of contempt and asked the Criminal Investigation Department of Bengal police to file an affidavit within two weeks.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had approached the high court against Bengal police and said the Supreme Court has not heard the state government's petition yet and there is no pause on the high court's ruling yesterday. The ED has also sought action against officers of Bengal's Criminal Investigation Department for not following the high court's orders.
Sheikh Shahjahan is at the centre of the political storm surrounding Sandeshkhali island in Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. Residents of the island have accused Shahjahan and his aides of harassment, land grab and extortion.
The strongman first made headlines in January when an Enforcement Directorate team came under a mob attack during a raid on his properties. He was then on the run for 52 days before Bengal police arrested him. The BJP, which has been accusing the Trinamool Congress of shielding the strongman and has stressed that only a probe by the central agencies would ensure justice for the people of Sandeshkhali.
The Trinamool has expelled Shahjahan for six years. Hitting back at the BJP charge, it has questioned why the central agencies could not arrest the strongman for so long.
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