CBI Registers First FIR in Sandeshkhali Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed the first case in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, concerning allegations of land usurpation and sexual assault against five influential individuals, as stated by officials on Thursday.

Case

The case revolves around a land dispute wherein women from the victim’s family purportedly encountered sexual assault from prominent figures in the locality, officials noted.

The CBI has refrained from disclosing the identities of the five accused and the victims.

Calcutta High Court

On April 10, the Calcutta High Court mandated a court-monitored CBI inquiry into claims of crimes against women and land encroachment in Sandeshkhali, emphasizing the necessity for an “impartial inquiry” in the pursuit of justice and equity.

Having received a substantial number of complaints, the CBI established an email ID for reporting such incidents. Subsequently, the agency dispatched a team to Sandeshkhali to verify the allegations and initiate case registrations where allegations could be prima facie substantiated.

FIR

Following preliminary verification during on-site investigations, the CBI has filed the inaugural FIR pertaining to allegations of land usurpation and assault on women, as directed by the Calcutta High Court.

Furthermore, the High Court instructed the CBI to produce a comprehensive report on the purported illegal conversion of agricultural land into water bodies for pisciculture, following a meticulous examination of revenue records and physical inspection of the allegedly converted land.

The central agency has been assigned the responsibility of probing allegations of crimes against women and land encroachment in Sandeshkhali, with instructions to furnish a comprehensive report for the upcoming hearing scheduled for May 2.

Read More: Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, States High Court, Other Courts, International