The Calcutta High Court granted custody of Sheikh Shahjahan, a former Trinamool leader facing allegations of extortion, land encroachment, and sexual assault in Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, to the CBI on Tuesday. The Bengal Police have been instructed to hand over Shahjahan and all relevant case materials by 4:30 pm.
The Bengal government swiftly contested the decision in the Supreme Court, but its request for an immediate hearing was denied. The Supreme Court stated it would follow standard procedures and directed senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi to bring up the plea before its Registrar-General.
Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, leading a High Court bench, revoked a previous order establishing a special investigative team comprising CBI and state police officials, transferring the case to the central agency.
Both the Enforcement Directorate and the state separately challenged this decision; the ED advocated for the case to be solely handled by the CBI, while the state preferred the police to conduct the investigation.
Sheikh Shahjahan had been evading authorities since January 5 when a group of Enforcement Directorate officials was assaulted by his supporters while en route to conduct raids. His disappearance and the assault triggered a significant political controversy, with the BJP accusing the ruling Trinamool party, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, of shielding him.
After 55 days on the run, Shahjahan was apprehended by a special police team and expelled from the Trinamool for six years. His arrest followed three days after the High Court issued an order for his apprehension.