India Central Bureau of Investigation launches land grab and sexual assault case in West Bengal News
Pulakit Singh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
India Central Bureau of Investigation launches land grab and sexual assault case in West Bengal

The India Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched a case on Thursday in response to allegations of land grabs and sexual assaults involving five influential individuals located in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, according to an official’s statement to the Press Trust of India (PTI). This follows a court-monitored investigation of the situation, which was previously ordered by the Calcutta High Court on April 10.

The case centers around a contentious land dispute, with reports indicating that women from the victim’s family endured sexual assault allegedly perpetrated by prominent figures in the area. However, the identities of both the accused and the victims remain undisclosed by the CBI.

In compliance with the High Court’s mandate, the CBI established an email platform to facilitate the submission of complaints akin to those reported in Sandeshkhali. This initiative resulted in a substantial influx of submissions. Subsequently, a specialized team was dispatched to Sandeshkhali to conduct a meticulous investigation into the allegations and formalize cases where prima facie evidence of wrongdoing could be established.

Following preliminary assessments on the ground, the CBI recovered large number of arms and ammunition on Friday. The court directed the CBI to file a comprehensive report on the alleged illegal land conversion. The next hearing, slated for May 2, anticipates the submission of this report, involving a scrupulous examination of revenue records and physical land inspections.

Earlier, on April 13, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) released a spot enquiry report highlighting several human rights concerns. The report detailed instances of assault, threat, sexual exploitation and land grabbing against victims and villagers in Sandeshkhali. As a result of these alleged human rights violations, the NHRC issued notices to the Chief Secretary as well as the Director General of Police of West Bengal, seeking detailed reports of the violent acts and the subsequent actions taken by the authorities. Further, the NHRC has also sought information with regard to compensation to victims and ameliorative measures that authorities are supposed to undertake to rebuild confidence in the local community.

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