The Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended its leader Shahjahan Sheikh for six years following his arrest in connection with sexual abuse and land-grabbing case at Sandeshkhali. The Basirhat court remanded Sheikh to 10 days of police custody.
Announcing the decision, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said, "We have decided to suspend Shajahan Sheikh from the party for six years. As always, we walk the talk. We have set examples in the past, and we are doing that today.” He added, “But we dare the BJP to suspend leaders, who have corruption cases against them and have several criminal cases against them.” O'Brien dared the BJP to take action against former Wrestling Federation of India Brij Bhushan who is facing charges for sexual harassment.
Shahjahan, who has been absconding for the past 55 days, was nabbed from a house in Bamanpukur in the Minakhan police station area, around 30km away from the island of Sandeshkhali on the outskirts of Sunderbans, in North 24 Parganas district. He was arrested in the case wherein his supporters assaulted Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers on January 5 during a raid at his house in a ration scam case.
He was booked under IPC sections 147 (guilty of rioting), 148 (guilty of rioting being armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder), 333 (whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt to any person being a public servant) and 392 (robbery).