Former All India Trinamool Congress (AITC or TMC) goon Sheikh Shahjahan broke down while meeting his family from inside a police vehicle following a court appearance in Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court on 23rd April. The Sandeshkhali strongman was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days in connection with sexual assault and land grab cases against him.
Central Bureau of Investigation officials in Basirhat produced him in front of a local court where he spotted his wife, daughter and supporters through the window of the van as he was leaving and started crying. He reportedly told his family to “pray to Allah” and the scene was captured on camera as he wiped his tears. He is currently being held at Kolkata’s Presidency Jail after being transported there from Basirhat.
Notably, the footage showed how the present state of affairs contrasted sharply with the time the TMC leader strolled proudly as cops followed him after his initial arrest. The stark difference was also pointed out by Bharatiya Janata Party IT cell chief Amit Malviya who took to social media to mock the man and warned that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee won’t be able to protect anyone “when the law catches up to them.”
He stated, “The swag has disappeared. Mamata Banerjee’s poster boy, rapist Sheikh Shahjahan is weeping like an inconsolable child. Criminal Anubroto Mondal is in jail. This is the fate that awaits the likes of Saokat Mollah, Jehangir Khan and others, who have unleashed a reign of terror across Bengal. No one will come to save them when the law catches up. Not Mamata Banerjee for sure. She couldn’t even save her ministers. The clock is ticking.”
Sheikh Shahajahan enjoyed strong patronage in the TMC and rose to the status of ‘Betaj Badshah‘ from a mere truck driver and has engaged in various illegal activities since 2006 including the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party members. However, as a precautionary measure against potential legal action, he has consistently surrounded himself with influential individuals. He grabbed national headlines after he perpetrated an attack on Enforcement Directorate officials on 5th January this year.
Sandeshkhali Horror
Hundreds of women from Sandeshkhali staged a protest on 8th February this year, over the land grab, unpaid wages and sexual harassment committed by Sheikh Shahjahan and his two assistants, Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar. The women stormed the premises that he had unlawfully acquired and destroyed Shiba Prasad Hazra’s chicken farm. Additionally, they encircled the Sandeshkali police station and made demands for the trio’s quick arrest. The village experienced three days of unrest.
The cops watched in silence as the TMC thugs retaliated. The police themselves mistreated the women in multiple instances. It had been revealed that the party leaders had been abusing the locals sexually for a considerable amount of time. The TMC leadership expelled Uttam Sardar from the party for six years in an effort to appease the irate Sandeshkhali residents. On 10th February, the suspended TMC leader and Zilla Parishad member was subsequently taken into custody in the vicinity of the Sandeshkhali police station.
TMC politician Shibu Prasad Hazra was apprehended by the police on 17th February for allegedly stealing land and abusing women in Sandeshkhali. The main offender, Sheikh Shahjahan, who had been at large for 55 days was eventually taken into custody by the authorities on 29th February 29 in Minakhan, North 24 Parganas district following widespread protests and the involvement of the Calcutta High Court. The TMC administration had initially refused to hand him over to the Central Bureau of Investigation but was forced to comply after the high court intervened.