The absconding TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, accused of alleged sexual atrocities and land grabbing in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, was apprehended on Thursday morning after 55 days on the run, according to the police.
He was arrested from a residence in Minakhan, approximately 30 km away from the island of Sandeshkhali on the outskirts of Sunderbans, in the North 24 Parganas district, where he had been hiding with a few associates.
Following the arrest, Sheikh was taken to the Basirhat court and is currently in the court lockup. A police officer stated that he will be produced before a judge later in the day.
The arrest took place within 24 hours of the Calcutta High Court's statement allowing the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), or the West Bengal Police to apprehend him.
Governor CV Ananda Bose, who had given a 72-hour "deadline" to the state government for Sheikh's arrest, remarked, "There is always light at the end of the tunnel. I welcome it."
The Trinamool Congress claimed that the arrest became possible as the court cleared the way, while the BJP labeled it as a scripted event.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh stated, "Due to a legal tangle, he couldn't be arrested initially. However, after the court clarified that there was no stay on his arrest, the West Bengal Police did its job."
The BJP contended that the state police were compelled to arrest Sheikh due to their agitations. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said, "He has been arrested now as a part of a well-scripted story. The state administration was forced to arrest him because of the continuous agitation led by us."
Sheikh was traced through his mobile phone's tower location, and a significant police deployment was made at the Basirhat court to maintain law and order.
Additional forces were deployed in parts of Sandeshkhali to prevent any further flare-up.
The high court had directed the state police to arrest Sheikh on Monday, and over 100 complaints were registered against him in the last few weeks, leading to violent protests. He is booked under IPC sections 376D (gang rape) and 307 (attempt to murder). Sheikh had been on the run since an ED team, investigating an alleged ration scam, was attacked at his house on January 5.
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