Sandeshkhali Row: Arrested TMC Leader Shahjahan Sheikh Sent to 10-Day Police Custody by Court

On Thursday, a court in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district remanded TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh of Sandeshkhali to 10 days in police custody. Sheikh was produced before the court in Basirhat around 10.40 am after his arrest from Minakhan in the early hours.

The state police had requested 14 days of custody, however, the court granted 10 days instead. Shahjahan Sheikh was arrested around midnight in the North 24 Parganas district by a special Bengal police team. He had been on the run for 55 days. After the arrest, he was taken to the Basirhat court.The team had been monitoring the leader's activities for several days leading up to the arrest, officials said.

Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district has been witnessing widespread protests against the Trinamool Congress strongman Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women are seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader.

A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexual assault" under coercion. The leader who had been on the run since January 5, has been previously embroiled in several criminal cases, including the murder of 3 BJP workers in 2019.