Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into 2019 Sandeshkhali murders of three BJP workers. Suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan named as key accused. The court cites state police failure, directs special CBI team. Political reactions erupt as demand for justice and transparency in West Bengal intensifies.
The Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the murder of three BJP workers — Pradip Mondal, Debdas Mondal, and Sukanta Mondal — that occurred in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas, in June 2019.
The ruling, delivered by a single-judge bench led by Justice Jay Sengupta, came in response to allegations that the state police and its Criminal Investigation Department (CID) deliberately shielded Sheikh Shahjahan, a now-suspended leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), from being held accountable. Shahjahan had initially been named in the chargesheet during the local police’s investigation. However, after the CID took over, his name was suspiciously dropped from official documents, raising concerns of political interference and miscarriage of justice.
Justice Sengupta’s bench ordered the CBI to begin reinvestigation immediately by forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the killings. This comes at a time when Shahjahan is already embroiled in multiple other high-profile cases being investigated by the CBI, including the assault of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in January 2024, a multi-crore ration distribution scam, sexual harassment of local women, and allegations of illegal land grabbing in Sandeshkhali.
Shahjahan is currently in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in these cases. His role in the broader pattern of violence and corruption in the region has come under increasing scrutiny, especially after the ED attack that triggered national outrage and raised questions about the breakdown of law and order in parts of West Bengal.
The fresh CBI probe into the 2019 murders is seen as a breakthrough moment for the families of the victims, who had long alleged state-sponsored cover-ups and had been demanding impartial reinvestigation.
Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, welcomed the court’s order with strong words. “I am grateful to the Calcutta High Court for the milestone decision directing reinvestigation by the CBI concerning the gruesome murders of the three BJP workers at Sandeshkhali. The Calcutta High Court once again took the role of a messiah to rescue the poor and helpless from the clutches of the mighty and influential,” Adhikari said.
Adhikari further alleged that the state administration had been offering protection to criminals aligned with the ruling TMC and accused it of using the police to suppress justice. “The decision by the court clearly exposes the deep-rooted corruption and nexus between political leaders and the state machinery,” he added.
The case has once again brought Sandeshkhali into the spotlight. The region, which has seen a history of political violence, became a focal point of national debate earlier this year when ED officials were attacked during a raid on Shahjahan’s residence. That incident opened a Pandora’s box of allegations, with local women coming forward to speak about years of intimidation, harassment, and abuse allegedly perpetrated by Shahjahan and his associates.
Political analysts say that the court’s decision could have broader implications for the upcoming political narrative in West Bengal, where allegations of political patronage, lawlessness, and administrative failure have become central themes.
While the Trinamool Congress has so far remained cautious in its response, maintaining that legal processes should be allowed to take their course, the opposition has called the High Court verdict a turning point in the state’s fight for justice and political accountability.
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As the CBI prepares to begin its investigation, all eyes are on whether the central agency will be able to uncover new evidence and whether it will lead to the formal indictment of powerful individuals previously protected by the state apparatus.
The Calcutta High Court’s bold intervention once again underscores the judiciary’s role in ensuring that justice prevails in cases where the state machinery stands accused of dereliction and bias. For the victims’ families and many in the political opposition, the order offers a renewed sense of hope for justice delayed — but not denied.
