Calcutta High Court Turns Down Urgent Plea Over Threats to Rape Victims in Sandeshkhali Violence
The Calcutta High Court declined an urgent hearing for a plea regarding allegations that rape victims in Sandeshkhali were being coerced into withdrawing their complaints to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The court had previously transferred the investigation into rape and land grabbing accusations against former TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh to the CBI, instructing it to conduct ‘confidence-building exercises’ to gather complaints from locals.
During the recent proceedings, Advocate Priyanka Tibrewal, representing one of the parties involved, approached a division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya. Tibrewal claimed that women in the area were facing threats, with unidentified individuals entering their homes and pressuring them to retract their complaints. It was alleged that local women were living in fear, some even hiding in fields to evade threats, and that one individual had been abducted.
Tibrewal asserted that she had spoken to 200 women who expressed their ongoing fear and vulnerability. However, the State’s counsel strongly objected to these claims, suggesting that Tibrewal was exacerbating the situation.
In response, the Court noted the arguments presented and emphasized that the CBI was already handling the matter. The petitioner was advised to address any concerns directly to the CBI for resolution.
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