Trinamul has begun an internal probe into villagers' charges against the party’s Sandeshkhali block president Shibaprasad Hazra that range from land grab to sexual assault.

Party sources said four members of the party’s North 24-Parganas district core committee have been asked to conduct an internal probe into allegations of land grabbing, sexual assault, and other complaints of high-handedness against Shibaprasad and submit their report preferably by February 17. Senior party leader Partha Bhowmick, who visited Sandeskhali on Tuesday evening, indicated that if allegations were found “genuine”, appropriate disciplinary action would be taken against Shibaprasad.

"Our party does not encourage injustice and unlawful works. That is why (local Trinamul leader) Uttam Sardar was suspended by the leadership. Similarly, allegations against Shibaprasad Hazra are under investigation and similar action will be taken if the complaints are found genuine”, said Bhowmick, Bengal's irrigation minister.

Party insiders claimed that in that case, the leadership would announce the “punishment” during a public meeting in Sandeshkhali on February 18 when a delegation of top 10 leaders of the ruling party would visit the area as a “confidence building” measure.

"We have a lot to say there in Sandeshkhali…. particularly to clear the misconception and propaganda launched by the Opposition parties, particularly the BJP and the CPM. They have joined hands and hatched a conspiracy to mislead people, which needs to be addressed,” a senior Trinamul leader of North 24-Parganas said, adding that the developments in Sandeshkhali, especially the women's protests, caused the party embarrassment.

Insiders claimed that the party leadership planned to arrange the payment of “lease dues” of land and bheris (ponds for pisciculture), which Uttam and Shibaprasad did not pay, leading to mob fury.

Villagers, including women, from large swathes of Sandeshkhali hit the roads on February 7, alleging atrocities by a section of Trinamul leaders.

People eventually turned violent, attacked Trinamul workers, vandalised houses, and torched business establishments of absconding party strongman Shahjahan Sheikh, and his two trusted lieutenants, Trinamul zilla parishad member Uttam Sardar and block committee president Shibaprasad Hazra, demanding they be arrested. The mob fury raged for three days.

As charges of land-grab, damaging paddy and sexual assaults on women swirled, the Trinamul leadership, based on a “secret” probe, suspended accused party leader Uttam.

However, Shibaprasad, against whom charges of sexual assault and physical torture were the most in number, managed to flee.

Trinamul said land grab charges were being investigated by the district administration that formed a team headed by the Sandeshkhali-II Block land and land reforms officer.

However, complaints of sexual assault are “baseless” and “false”, the Trinamul leadership has asserted.

To examine the veracity of sexual assault charges, the state government sent an all-women police team headed by a DIG of the CID who met the women in Sandeshkhali. Teams of the state women’s commission as well as its national counterpart also visited the troubled zones of Sandeshkhali.

“However, none of the teams has so far received any complaint of sexual assault," said Trinamul state general secretary Kunal Ghosh, adding the complaints in Sandeshkhali are of a “personal nature of internal disputes”.

He termed the allegations of sexual assault by local Trinamul on village women as “ugly propaganda”.

"An ugly propaganda has been launched over incidents in Sandeshkhali based on false allegations of sexual assault to blacken the image of the state government which needs to be defended," Ghosh said in Calcutta, showing data on the crime rate against women in the BJP-ruled states that "are higher".

"No one has received any complaint of sexual assault…. even the National Women’s Commission members did not come across any such complaint during their interaction with women in Sandeshkhali. Nevertheless, some people are trying to enact a play to blot the image of Bengal," Ghosh alleged, demanding action against such propaganda.

Sukanta falls ill

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar fell ill by the banks of the Ichhamati river during a scuffle with policemen when he was prevented from going to Sandeshkhali, a little after he performed Saraswati Puja there on Wednesday afternoon.

On Wednesday, too, BJP leaders and workers were stopped by cops from reaching Sandeshkhali.

Majumdar was rushed to a local block hospital.

However, later he was taken to a private hospital in Calcutta after he complained of respiratory trouble.

Trinamul termed the BJP state chief's illness a “ploy” to escape from a “failed movement”.

The BJP, in turn, accused the Bengal ruling dispensation of having attempted Majumdar's murder.

On Wednesday afternoon, DIG Barasat range Sumit Kumar said, “The situation in Sandeshkhali is now under control. We are also hopeful that the situation will improve further."