The Calcutta High Court has said there was no stay on the arrest of TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan who is the main accused in sexual assault and land grab allegations. The court was hearing a suo moto case on the Sandeshkhali allegations.
On a prayer by court-appointed amicus curiae for clarification on whether there is a restraining order on police from arresting Sheikh, the division bench said there is no such stay and the police can arrest him.
The HC's observation comes as Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee claimed on Sunday that "the hands of the state police are tied" by the court as the SIT got a stay order against the FIR of the West Bengal police. "The state government has filed a case against Sheikh Shahjahan. ED could not catch him. But the SIT went and got a stay order against the FIR of the state police. As a result, the hands and feet of the police have been tied by the court," Abhishek Banerjee said.
The High Court also ordered to implead Sheikh Shahjahan, the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the West Bengal home secretary as parties.
The division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam also ordered that a public notice be given in newspapers by the high court registry stating that Sheikh has been impleaded in the matter, as he is on the run and not seen in public since a mob attack on ED officials on January 5.
The court also clarified that had only stayed the constitution of a joint special investigation team of the CBI and the state police, which had been ordered by a single bench to investigate the attack on ED officials.
This comes as the West Bengal Police on Monday arrested TMC leader Ajit Maiti from the trouble-torn Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on the charges of land grabbing from villagers, an officer said.
Maiti, considered a close aide of absconding TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh, was detained on Sunday evening from the residence of a civic volunteer where he had locked himself for over four hours after being chased by villagers, he said.
"We have arrested him from Bermadjur area after getting complaints from villagers regarding land grabbing. We will produce him before a court later in the day," the police officer told PTI.
After getting over 70 complaints, the police lodged an FIR against Shajahan Sheikh, he said.
(With PTI inputs)
