'Contempt of court': Adhir blasts TMC for blaming HC for delay in arrest of Sandeshkhali accused Sheikh Shahjahan

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 26 : In a blistering attack on the ruling TMC after it blamed legal processes for the delay in the arrest of absconding strongman and Sandeshkhali accused Sheikh Shahjahan, Congress state chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday said laying the blame on the Calcutta High Court in the matter amounted to 'contempt of court'.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, the Congress state president said, "Women across West Bengal are out on the streets, crying for justice and fighting for the honour of fellow women in Sandeshkhali. Those in the TMC government should hang their heads in shame for failing to protect the women of Sandeshkhali. Laying the blaming on the High Court and the legal process (for the delay in the arrest of the accused Sheikh Shahjahan), instead, amounts to contempt of court. The government should be held in contempt for saying that the high court has tied the hands of the state police."
He alleged while the main accused was still in the wind with the active support and protection of the state administration, a few were being made scapegoats and arrested.
"The state government won't be able to silence the voices of Sandeshkhali women. The ruling party, itself, is protecting the real culprit for votes. If the TMC was, indeed, interested in bringing Shiekh Shahjahan to book, it could have moved the Supreme Court seeking his arrest," Chowdhury said.
Amid tensions over the Sandeshkhali incident, party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday said his party was not defending the absconding ruling party strongman, and, it was the high court which had tied the hands of the state police.
"The so-called masters and defenders of human rights are chanting, 'arrest him, arrest him'. What can the police do if their hands are tied by the high court? ED officials were assaulted on January 5 and the Calcutta High Court constituted a SIT to probe the incident. However, the ED appealed and sought a stay on the verdict. A bench led by the Chief Justice upheld their request. On March 6, there will be a fresh hearing in the matter. How will the police arrest (Shahjahan) if the high court ties the hands of the police administration? The police should be given 15 days or a month to take action based on the FIR," Banerjee said.