KOLKATA: TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh of Sandeshkhali was sent to 10 days in police custody by a court in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Thursday.
Absconding TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, accused of alleged sexual atrocities on women and land grabbing in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, was arrested on Thursday morning, police said.
Sheikh was produced before the court in Basirhat around 10.40 am after his arrest from Minakhan in the early hours.
The state police sought 14 days of custody, but the court granted 10 days.
The Zilla Parishad functionary was arrested from a hideout in North 24 Parganas.
"Due to a legal tangle, he couldn't be arrested initially. However, after the court clarified that there was no stay on his arrest, the West Bengal Police did its job. The opposition had earlier exploited the embargo on his arrest," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh told PTI.
"We had said he would be arrested in seven days as we were confident of the ability of the state police," he said.
Sheikh has remained at large for 55 days since an Enforcement Directorate team that went to raid his house was attacked allegedly by a mob in connection with a foodgrain scam case that already landed former food and supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick in jail.
People of the Sandeshkhali area have been staging violent protests demanding his arrest.
The timing of Shahjahan's arrest is said to be politically significant he was picked up a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit Bengal and address rallies on two consecutive days.
The opposition BJP claimed the state police were forced to arrest Sheikh because of its agitations.
"It was the TMC and the state police which were shielding the culprit. He has been arrested now as a part of a well-scripted story. The state administration was forced to arrest him because of the continuous agitation led by us," BJP state president Sukanta Majumadar said.
Sheikh was traced with the help of his mobile phone's tower location, a police officer said.
"Shiekh was changing his location from time to time. He was spotted with the help of his mobile phone's tower location," he said.
Huge police deployment was made at the Basirhat court, around 65 km from Kolkata, to maintain the law and order situation, police said.
Additional forces were also deployed in parts of Sandeshkhali, which Sheikh is accused of turning into his fiefdom over the last decade, to prevent any further flare-up of the situation.
On Wednesday, a division bench presided by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam directed that it will be "open to the CBI or the ED also to arrest" the absconding Sheikh, noting that he has been on the run for a substantial period.
The high court had on Monday directed the state police to arrest him.
Police said that over 100 complaints were registered against Sheikh over the last few weeks, which saw violent protests led by women demanding his arrest.
He has been booked under IPC sections 376D (gang rape) and 307 (attempt to murder), they said.
Sheikh's close aides Shibaprasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar were earlier arrested on similar charges.
His another associate, Ajit Maiti, was held in connection with the allegations of land grabbing.
Police said most of the complainants claimed that Shajahan forcibly took over land from the people, and tortured the women of the area.
Sheikh was at large since an ED team that went to raid his house in connection with the alleged ration scam was attacked by a mob of around 1,000 people on January 5.
Governor's letter to state seeking Shahjahan 's immediate arrest
West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose had asked the state government to file a report within 72 hours detailing the atrocities involving Shahjahan involving Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali, an official said.
The Governor asked the state to investigate the alleged incident of a child being thrown away by miscreants in Sandeshkhali and submit a report to his office, the official told PTI.
"In the light of the decision of the Calcutta High Court, the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali incidents, Shahjahan Sheikh, may be arrested immediately, failing which reasons for the same may be reported within 72 hours," Bose wrote to the state government on Monday night. "The veracity of a reported incident of a child being thrown by miscreants may be looked into and if found to be correct, strict action may be taken and report submitted," Bose's letter read.
The high court on Monday directed that Sheikh, the Enforcement Directorate, the CBI, the superintendent of police, and the state's home secretary representing the West Bengal government be impleaded as parties in the suo motu matter initiated on the allegations of sexual atrocities on women and the land grab of tribal people.
"Therefore, the said person shall be arrested by the concerned police authorities," the court directed.
Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district has been witnessing protests for the past few weeks over allegations of land grab and sexual atrocities on women by Sheikh and his supporters.
Several persons including Shibaprasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar, alleged associates of Sheikh, were arrested.
However, Sheikh himself has been evading the authorities since January 5, when ED officials who had gone to raid his premises at Sandeshkhali were attacked. The governor submitted a report to the Union Home Ministry a few days ago.
(With inputs from PTI)
