Sandeshkhali incident: PIL filed in Supreme Court seeking probe into sexual harassment allegations

Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava filed the petition seeking an impartial probe into the allegations by either a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The turmoil in Sandeshkhali, which is located in North 24 Parganas district, broke out first in early January when a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) reached TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan's residence to quiz him in connection with the ration distribution scam in the state.

Shahjahan's aides allegedly assaulted and chased the ED officers turning the area into a political hotspot months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

While Shahjahan is now absconding, several women from the village came out with brooms and sticks demanding the arrest of the TMC strongman.

The protesting women have alleged Shahjahan and his aides captured several lands forcefully and sexually harassed them.

One of the protesters said as quoted by NDTV, "They targeted women by picking up their husbands and beating them up with a stick in the party office. If we refused to go to the party office, they would pick up the men and thrash them so we would be forced to go."

Not acknowledging the incident as a mass protest, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "CPI-M, BJP and Congress are trying to create unrest in the locality. The protest has no connection with common people in the area. The protesters are speaking in the language of CPI-M and BJP."

BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya, "This is the outburst of pent-up public anger. This will escalate and spread to 16 areas of Sandeshkhali.. This is not a reaction to what is happening in recent times but to the torture of Shahjahan and his aides for a decade."