The Supreme Court will on Monday hear a plea by the West Bengal government against the Calcutta High Court directing a CBI probe into allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali. A bench of Justice B.R.Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta is likely to hear the case. In its petition before the top court, the state government has said that the High Court's order dated April 10, 2024, has demoralized the entire state machinery, including the police force.

What is said in the petition?

The petition said, “The High Court in a very general order has directed the State to provide necessary assistance to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) without any direction, irrespective of the allegations made by the petitioners in the PIL. Not related. This amounts to usurping the powers of the state police to investigate any cognizable offense in the Sandeshkhali area.” The case of attack on Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali is already being investigated by the CBI and the agency has registered three FIRs related to the January 5 incidents.

Noting that the investigation would be monitored by the court, the high court directed it to file a comprehensive report on the alleged illegal conversion of agricultural land into water bodies for fish farming after conducting a thorough inspection of the revenue documents and physical inspection of the alleged land. Gave. The High Court has also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali and submit a comprehensive report on the next date of hearing. The High Court bench directed the case to be listed for next hearing on May 2 and asked the CBI to file its report by that day.