The Supreme Court has agreed to deliberate on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the violence that erupted in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali village. Filed by lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava, the PIL also advocates for compensation to the victims of the violence and accountability for alleged negligence by West Bengal Police officials.
The petition further demands the transfer of the investigation and trial outside West Bengal and proposes an inquiry by a three-judge committee akin to the one conducted in the Manipur violence case. Sandeshkhali has been rocked by protests following allegations of sexual abuse against women by a local Trinamool Congress leader, Shajahan Sheikh, and his associates, triggering a series of demonstrations. Sheikh, who faces accusations of land-grab and coercion, remains at large after his alleged supporters attacked Enforcement Directorate officials during a corruption probe.