Sandeshkhali violence: CBI takes over probe, registers FIR against TMC's Shahjahan Sheikh

The three BJP workers were allegedly killed during post-poll violence in Sandeshkhali in 2019, when a mob led by Sheikh reportedly attacked their village. (File photo)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe into the 2019 killings of three BJP workers, Pradeep Mondal, Devdas Mondal, and Sukanta Mondal, in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, and has registered an FIR against former Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh, who is the prime accused in the case, officials said on Saturday.

The move follows an order from the Calcutta High Court dated June 30, directing the central agency to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to handle the case with “utmost seriousness.” The court also mandated that the probe be supervised by a CBI joint director.

Justice Joy Sengupta, in his order, expressed concern over the handling of the case by the West Bengal Police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), stating that there was a "gross miscarriage of justice" due to their failure to act against the main accused.

“It appears that whenever allegations are levelled against Sheikh, the state police tend to falter, whether in the case of mob violence against Enforcement Directorate officials or in this case,” the court observed. “There is no distinction between the local police and the CID in this regard,” the judge added.

The three BJP workers were allegedly killed during post-poll violence in Sandeshkhali in 2019, when a mob led by Sheikh reportedly attacked their village. The case was initially investigated by the CID, but the victims’ families later petitioned the High Court seeking a CBI inquiry.

Shahjahan Sheikh, who has also been accused in multiple cases including land grabbing and sexual violence against women in Sandeshkhali, has been in judicial custody since January 5, 2024. He was arrested following an alleged attack on ED officials during a raid at his residence in connection with a multi-crore ration distribution scam.

The CBI is already investigating several other cases linked to the attack on the ED team. With the addition of the 2019 triple murder probe, the agency’s focus on Shahjahan Sheikh and his network is expected to intensify.

Sandeshkhali, a riverine region in North 24 Parganas district, has remained in the spotlight for serious allegations of political violence and local terror, with multiple women accusing Sheikh and his associates of land encroachment and sexual exploitation.