The CBI on Saturday arrested Sheikh Alamgir, brother of recently arrested Sandehskhali strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, and two others for allegedly spearheading an attack on the visiting ED team on January 5.
Alamgir evaded questions and tried to mislead investigators, central agency sources said on Saturday evening.
The two others arrested are Mafujar Molla, Trinamul student wing president in Sandeshkhali, and Sirajul Molla, a villager.
The three, summoned to appear in the morning at the CBI’s Nizam Palace office in Calcutta, were arrested after nearly nine hours of questioning in connection with the alleged attack on the ED team at Sarberia in Sandeshkhali.
The Bengal BJP also began collecting affidavits from alleged victims of Trinamul atrocities in Sandeshkhali for a public interest litigation.
On Saturday, a team of 12 lawyers, led byBJP Bengal unit secretary Priyanka Tibrewal, visited the Sarberia Agarhati gram panchayat area in Nazat under Sandeshkhali-I block where the BJP’s local unit set up camps at the Karunamoyee market to collect the affidavits from purported victims.
Party sources said the legal team would stay for two days to collect the affidavits with details on atrocities. If required, the date may be extended.
“On the first day, 130 affidavits were received from villagers.... The nature of complaints include allegations of land-grab, assaults, loot, eviction, outraging the modesty of women and gang-rape by ruling party hooligans like Sheikh Shahjahan, Shibu Hazra and others,” said Tibrewal.
“Affidavits of these victims are being collected as per the Calcutta High Court’s directive which advised me to submit these as proof in connection with a public interest litigation filed by me...,” said Tibrewal.
“This has been tagged with a suo motu case started by the court. So the camp was set up today for the purpose. All affidavits will be submitted before Calcutta High Court on April 4, when the case will come up for hearing,” she added further.
Those who submitted affidavits included villagers who filed complaints with the state administration.
BJP insiders in Sandeshkhali said that the camp was set up by the party as state BJP leaders had promised villagers legal support from the party.
“Some villagers failed to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 6, which upset them. Our senior leaders like Priyanka Tibrewal and Locket Chatterjee assured villagers of taking their battle to court,” a BJP leader in Sandeshkhali said.
Fresh protests
Fresh tension broke out in Sandeshkhali on Saturday morning as around 200 villagers staged a demonstration in Rampur Haldergheri area, demanding the arrest of Trinamul leader Haji Siddique Mollah, the pradhan of Bermajur-II panchayat, who they accused of siphoning money under the rural housing scheme.
Villagers demonstrated for about two hours, blocking Dhamakhali-Sarberia road. Finally, cops asked protesters to submit a specific complaint.
Villagers alleged that Mollah, a close associate of Trinamul strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, siphoned off a huge sum of money by denying people housing benefits.
“Haji used his power to refuse benefits to genuine claimants and ensured benefits for the undeserving by taking money,” alleged homemaker Pramila Ghoroui.
