Calcutta High Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance Of Sexual Assault Allegations In West Bengal's Sandeshkhali — All About It

The Calcutta High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the disturbing allegations surrounding sexual assault and the transfer of tribal land in Sandeshkhali, a region within West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.

As reported by TNIE, Justice Apurba Sinha Roy expressed deep concern over reports of women being subjected to sexual harassment "at gunpoint" and the illegal acquisition of tribal land.

In response to these developments, Justice Sinha Roy directed the registrar general of the high court to issue notices to the state government, senior police officials, and administrative authorities.

The court has scheduled a hearing on 20 February to hear the matter.

Also Read: Tear Gas, Water Cannons And Barbed Wires: Here's What The Day 1 Of The Farmers' Protest Looked Like

Furthermore, the court appointed advocate Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee as the amicus curiae to provide assistance in the legal proceedings related to this matter.

Earlier, Union Minister Smriti Irani had slammed the Mamata Banerjee government over the allegations of women in south Bengal's Sandeshkhali, declaring that "young Hindu married women" are being targetted by Trinamool Congress goons. 

The allegations stems from the reports where several women in Sandeshkhali had been protesting for the last few days over the alleged atrocities against them by TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his aides.

The women had claimed that Sheikh and his "gang" captured swathes of land by force, and sexually harassed them in the area.

A similar situation was also witnessed in Bengal's Murshidabad where clashes had erupted between Left front activists and the police, resulting in the use og lathi charge and tear gas. 

Also Read: AAP Rejects Centre's Proposal For Make-Shift Jail, Extends Support To Farmers: Here's All About It