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SANDESH KHALI : EPISODE-2

THE RISE OF SHEIKH SHAHJAHAN

THE BETAZ BADSHAH

 SARASIJ MAJUMDER 

Till a few months ago, Sandesh Khali, an island in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district was just a dot on the map. But, over the past few weeks, this nondescript island has made national headlines and emerged as a major flashpoint between the Opposition in West Bengal and the ruling Trinamool Congress, due to TMC’S local strongman Sheikh Shahjahan.

There are allegations and counter-allegations between rival political parties ahead of the general election, state election, and panchayet election. But scratch the surface and what emerges is a baffling tale of Shahjahan's meteoric rise to power and how he managed to covert this island into his fiefdom.

Beginning of the Journey:

1.      Shahjahan's journey to become Sandesh Khali's strongman began well before the Trinamool Congress came to power. Nothing is known about his educational background.

2.      The column of educational qualifications was vacant in  nomination papers for the panchayat polls filed by him. Local people informed that in the early 2000s, Shahjahan would be seen on the sidestep of vehicles plying between Sandesh Khali and neighbouring Sarberia, calling out to passengers and collecting fare from them.

3.      His maternal uncle, Moslem Sheikh, was a local CPM leader and the panchayat chief. Sheikh gave Shahjahan his first breakthrough, and the ambitious nephew started looking after the local fish trade.

4.      He was no leader, yet, and largely worked in the shadow of his uncle, helping him out during elections and keeping in touch with local party leaders.

5.      His assets, however, started growing and that did not go unnoticed. It is around this time that Shahjahan started carving out his identity.

6.      Bangladeshi Muslims started coming in, and he was helping them to settle down. His uncle was providing the political support.

7.      He helped out local Muslim residents during crisis. Whether it is arranging funds for a wedding or helping out parents struggling to pay for their children's education, Shahjahan was the local Robinhood.

8.      Around 2010, he sensed the wind of change blowing against the ruling CPM, even before his uncle did. Local media reports said Shahjahan gradually started distancing himself from CPM as the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress gained ground ahead of the 2011 polls.

9.      Shahjahan's calculation proved right when the 34-year rule of the Left ended and the Trinamool came to power.

10.  Meanwhile, Trinamool leader Jyoti Priya Mallick, now in jail in a corruption case, was closely watching the ambitious nephew.

11.  Mallick, local reports said, planned to deal a fatal blow to the CPM by using Shahjahan to counter his uncle Moslem Sheikh's influence. In 2013, Sheikh Shahjahan joined the Trinamool Congress.

12.  The tide had turned, and the nephew had trumped his uncle. So much so that Moslem Sheikh was forced to join Trinamool  Congress, later.

A Mountain of Wealth

1.      Three palatial Buildings,  White, Blue and Yellow, tower over Akunjipara, near Sandesh Kali. The blue and white homes are occupied by Shahjahan's relatives.

2.      The 50-year-old strongman lived in the YELLOW BUILDING before he absconded ahead of the Enforcement Directorate's raid. Documents submitted for panchayat polls stated Shahjahan owns 17 cars, 43 bighas of land (about 23 acres )and jewellery worth over ₹ 2 crore.

3.      His bank balance was nearly ₹ 2 crore. The strongman mentioned his occupation as 'business' and his annual income was shown as nearly ₹ 20 lakh.

4.      Local residents, however, claim that his actual property is much, much more. But where was the money coming from? Local people, and opposition leaders say he owned two brick kilns and was regularly supervising work  there. That was not all. Shahjahan's aides collected a cut from every fish trader in that area.

5.      Firearms tucked into their belts, his men would go from one fish grower to another, collecting the strongman's "fee" every month, according to local reports. Such was his terror in the area that no one dared to oppose.

Allegations of Land Grab

1.      Over the past decade, agricultural production in Sandesh Khali saw a swift decline and fish cultivation is having an exponential growth. Behind this was Sheikh Shahjahan’s active role. Local residents recount the strongman's oft-repeated expression: Nona Jole Sona Fole (Gold grows in saline water).

2.      His ways to "grow gold", however, have drawn serious allegations of land grab. Several farmers have narrated to TV how Shahjahan took control of land. His men would break embankments to channel saline water into agricultural land.

3.      "They (Shahjahan's aides)  have inundated our land with saline water so that we cannot grow crops here. Uttam Sardar and Shibu Hazra did this. Now they are rearing lobsters," said a local farmer. Many local women also stated this in VDOs of several you-tubers in circulation.

4.      Another farmer alleged that they are being forced to rear fish. "Why will we go into fish farming when we have this land? We used to grow rice and live off it. We grew crops and fed ourselves. Fish and rice sufficed. Now, everything has stopped. There is no vegetable and there is no crop. Our cows don't have anything to eat as there is no grass. What will we do? We are dying."

5.      Protest, the local farmers said, would attract a hefty penalty. "We are protesting now because we cannot take it anymore. They pick us up and beat us. This is the situation. We cannot sleep at night," said a farmer who did not want to be identified.

6.      The objective was simple. Turn land into fish farms and reap the profits. Every piece of land, including a football field named after him, was on Shahjahan's radar as he went on building his fiefdom, local residents say.

The Extortion Network

1.      Local residents allege that they would get only a small portion of the money that came into their accounts under welfare schemes of the Centre and the state government. This also applied to payments for work under MGNREGA, the rural job guarantee scheme.

2.      "We would get maximum ₹ 500. They did not give us the rest," a local resident said, targeting Shahjahan's aides.

3.      "Shahjahan's men would pick us up from our home. We would be made to withdraw the money and give it to them. They would hand us ₹ 500. 'Take this, we won't give you the rest', they said," said another. A protest would invite a thrashing, they alleged.

4.      Another group of men said payment for building roads or digging ponds would also be snatched by Shahjahan and his men.

5.      "This road has been built, but we have not been paid. When we dug a pond, we did not get money for it. Not a single rupee. If we said anything, they would pick us up and beat us."

WOMEN AND SEX RACKET

1.      In a shocking report, the news agency, quoting a local woman, said: "Party (TMC) men would survey every home and if there was any beautiful woman, primarily a young wife or a girl, of Hindu Family, they would take them to the party office. They will keep that woman there night after night till they are satisfied." The alleged victims not only accused Shajahan, but also named his close aides Uttam Sardar and Shiba prasad Hazra as being involved in the abuse.

2.      "One might be the husband, but he will not have his rights on her. One would have to let go of his wife. We are unable to live here. There is always a fear of being tortured or sexual molestation. We want safety. Most of our men have left the village and are working in other states," a woman told PTI.

ROHINGYAS

1.      It is alleged that, several thousands Rohingyas are also illegally settled there by the GOONS.

 

Where Is Sheikh Shahjahan?

1.      The Sandesh Khali strongman has been absconding since a team of Enforcement Directorate officials came under a mob attack when they went to raid his home in Sandesh Khali in January.

2.      It is a local knowledge that he frequents Bangladesh.

3.      The recent allegations of harassment by women have raised a political storm and prompted the state police to crack down.

4.      Shahjahan's aides Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar have been  recently arrested, but he is still on the run. State police chief Rajeev Kumar said a 10-member committee is investigating the Sandesh Khali events.

5.      "A total of 17 arrests have been made," he told reporters on 17/02/. But, Rajeev Kumar himself is an accomplice, as reported, and his statements can’t be relied upon.

6.      The top cop said state police is not trying to hide anything and appealed to villagers to come forward with their complaints. The police are also organizing camps in the area to take complaints of land grab and extortion.

7.      One woman has registered a complaint of rape in the Court. Basirhat police chief HM Rehman said, "The complaints received by us from the police team in Sandesh Khali  as well as the police station did not mention any cases of rape. However, in court, one woman has lodged a complaint of rape. The police will take action."

8.      The officer, however, said they have not received any complaint specifically naming Shahjahan Sheikh. The main Opposition BJP has accused the Trinamool Congress government of shielding the strongman and called for strict action.

9.      Governor of West Bengal visited the site, spoke to the "tortured" women who tied  on his wrist, and assured them of all the necessary help to get justice.

 

Reference:-

1.      https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/sandeshkhali-how-it-all-began-what-tmc-strongman-shajahan-sheikhs-goons-did-and-what-is-now-unfolding/articleshow/107725901.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

2.      https://www.news18.com/india/they-tortured-us-treated-us-like-slaves-anger-grows-against-tmcs-sheikh-shajahan-in-sandeshkhali-ground-report-8774244.html

3.      https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sandeshkhali-sexual-assault-row-bengal-governor-mamata-banerjee-shajahan-sheikh-tmc-2501038-2024-02-12

4.      BENGALI NEWS DAILIES.

5.      VDO CLIPS-- SANMOY, ANF RAFIQUL/ SEVERAL CLIPS

IMAGE:- GOOGLE

DISCLAIMER:-All information are available in, and compiled from, public domain. There is no intent to influence the Judicial procedure under progress. I didn’t have any interaction with any victim.