Kolkata: After conducting raids in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered foreign-made weapons and ammunition. These raids followed the CBI’s previous operations targeting hideouts associated with individuals suspected of attacking an Enforcement Directorate team on January 5, including suspended Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates. The Bengal government has yet to comment on the confiscated items.
The attack on the Enforcement Directorate team, allegedly orchestrated by Shahjahan’s supporters, sparked a wave of accusations against him and ignited a fierce political conflict between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s administration and the opposition, particularly the INDIA bloc, of which Trinamool is a part. As part of its investigation, the CBI established confidential phone lines and email addresses to encourage survivors from Sandeshkhali to step forward and file complaints. On the first day alone, the agency received 50 complaints, many concerning alleged land grabbing by politically influential figures.
These investigative measures were prompted by a directive from the Calcutta High Court, which transferred the case to the CBI in response to petitions seeking external intervention to address the serious allegations. During the proceedings, the state government received strong criticism from Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, who remarked, “Even if one affidavit is correct… if one per cent is true… it is absolutely shameful.”
The Sandeshkhali controversy has emerged as a significant issue ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which commenced last Friday. Today marks the second phase of the seven-phase polling process in Bengal. In the first phase, three constituencies—Alipurduars, Cooch Behar, and Jalpaiguri in North Bengal, all previously won by the BJP—went to the polls. This phase includes three more constituencies—Balurghat, Darjeeling, and Raiganj, all previously won by the BJP as well.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been actively campaigning for the BJP in Bengal, a state where the party has made substantial progress in recent years, aiming to overthrow the Trinamool and Chief Minister Banerjee. During his campaign for the Raiganj candidate, Modi accused Banerjee of allowing the torture of women in Sandeshkhali to protect her voter base. The BJP has also accused Banerjee of shielding Sheikh Shahjahan. Last month, Prime Minister Modi spoke to Rekha Patra, one of the women who alleged sexual assault, and hailed her as “Shakti Swaroopa,” likening her to a symbol of strength like Lord Ram.
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