The Calcutta High Court on Thursday allowed a petitioner to file an application/affidavit, allowing the alleged victims of Sandeshkhali to bring their complaints to the notice of the court.
Petitioner-lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal informed the division bench, which is hearing a suo motu motion and three PILs regarding alleged sexual assault on women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali, that 80 aggrieved women from the area will be joining the proceedings. Want and want to share their experiences.
Recognizing that it would be difficult to bring all the 80 women before the court, a division bench headed by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam allowed Tibrewal to file an application/supplementary affidavit stating whatever the alleged victims wish to put forward before this court. Can bring it on record.
The division bench, which also included Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya, directed that the version of those victims should be properly authenticated and their identity should also be established.
It directed that if the affidavit of the alleged victims is in the local language, translated copies of the same should be submitted by the petitioner.
Another petitioner-lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava submitted that he is seeking transfer of investigation into the sexual harassment and land-grabbing cases in Shabkhakhali to the CBI.
Counsel for accused Shajahan Shaikh told the court that he wanted to put on record his response to the statements made in the petition.
Srivastava objected to the prayer saying that the accused has no right to be heard in the petition seeking transfer of the investigation.
Admitting that Srivastava’s contention was justified, the court granted liberty to the accused to file affidavits in the other three writ petitions – a suo motu case and two PILs regarding the Sandeshkhali incidents.
The court also directed the Government of West Bengal, the Government of India and the CBI to file their respective affidavits in relation to the cases.
The court directed that all these four cases will be heard again on April 4.
The division bench took note of the submission of the court-appointed amicus curiae that the land snatched from innocent people in the area has been used by the alleged culprits for fish farming and even after acquiring the same, it would not be possible for the land owners to do so. Back, to use these lands again for agricultural purposes for many years.
The court directed the Agriculture Department of the Government of West Bengal to file a report regarding the process adopted by the State to recover the usurped lands and hand them over to the original owners/lessees.
Amicus Curiae Jayant Narayan Chatterjee filed a report in the court on allegations of sexual atrocities on women and grabbing of villagers’ land.
Seeking protection for the witnesses living in Sandeshkhali, senior lawyer Pramit Roy said that since the CBI has taken over the criminal cases which have been transferred to it by the court, the central agency cannot provide protection to the witnesses. A process can be considered for this.
The court directed the CBI to explain in its affidavit the manner in which the witness protection scheme can be extended to those people.
It said the state machinery should take measures to restore confidence in Sandeshkhali before the upcoming general elections.
