Sandeshkhali news: Sheikh Shahjahan produced before Basirhat court| Watch

The suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and accused in the Sandeshkhali case, Shahjahan Sheikh, appeared before the Basirhat court on Sunday.

The court is set to deliver a verdict on his custody, marking the end of his 10-day police remand.

Earlier in the day, Sheikh Shahjahan was brought out of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office at Nizam Palace in Kolkata on Sunday.

Following a directive from the Calcutta High Court, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Kolkata Police transferred custody of Sheikh Shahjahan to the CBI.

The high court, on Wednesday, issued a contempt notice to the CID and ordered that the case regarding the assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials be handed over to the CBI, along with custody of the main accused, Shahjahan. The court criticized the state police for their evasive actions in the matter.

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Describing the accused as a political figure of influence, the high court mandated that the investigation be transferred to the CBI and the accused be handed over to them by 4:15 pm on that day.

Reportedly evading authorities for nearly two months, the now-suspended TMC leader was apprehended by the West Bengal Police on February 29. He was subsequently presented before the Basirhat court, which granted a 10-day police remand.

In addition to the assault on an ED team during a raid on his residence in Sandeshkhali in connection with an alleged ration scam, Shahjahan faces accusations of land grabbing, extortion, and engaging in misconduct against women along with his associates.

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The women residing in Sandeshkhali, located in the North 24 Parganas district, expressed their outrage through violent protests, taking to the streets to condemn Shahjahan and his accomplices for serious offences and atrocities.

Numerous women on the island alleged that Shahjahan and his associates were involved in “land-grabbing and sexual assault,” often through coercion.

(With inputs from agencies)