Bengal Challenges Transfer Of Sandeshkhali Probe To CBI In Supreme Court

The West Bengal government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court challenging an order of the Calcutta High Court to transfer the probe into an attack on Enforcement Directorate officials at Sandeshkhali on January 5 to the CBI.

The matter was mentioned before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the West Bengal government, seeking an urgent hearing.

The bench refused an urgent listing of the plea and asked Mr Singhvi to mention the matter before the Registrar General of the top court.

Both the ED and the West Bengal government moved separate appeals in the high court challenging a single bench order which on January 17 ordered the formation of a joint special investigation team (SIT) of the CBI and the state police to probe the mob attack on the ED officials.

While the ED wanted the probe to be transferred to the CBI only, the state prayed that the investigation be given to its police.

The high court, while agreeing to ED's request, also directed that the custody of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, who was arrested by the West Bengal police on February 29 in connection with the attack, be handed over to the central agency.

A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam directed that the directions be complied with by 4.30 pm on Tuesday.

The former Trinamool leader was arrested by the state police a day after the high court ordered that Sheikh, who is also the prime accused in alleged sexual atrocities on women and land grabbing at Sandeshkhali, can be arrested by the CBI, the ED, or the West Bengal Police. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)