No sympathy for Sheikh Shahjahan, says Chief Justice of Calcutta HC

KOLKATA: Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, on Thursday, observed that this court has no sympathy for the Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who was arrested 55 days after the attack on ED and CAPF sleuths in Sandeshkhali.

He made this observation after Shahjahan’s counsel sought the attention of the division bench of Justice Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya regarding the arrest of his client and wanted to make some submission in the matter.

The Chief Justice also declined to hear any kind of submission from Shahjahan’s counsel and said the submission in the matter will be heard on March 4, the next hearing in the Sandeshkhali case that was suo motu initiated by the Calcutta High Court.

“For the next 10 years you will have to remain very busy with your client. Probably you will have to appoint four to five juniors. This court has absolutely no sympathy for him,” the Chief Justice observed.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that Shahjahan, who was remanded to police custody for 10 days by the Basirhat Subdivision Court in North 24 Parganas district on Thursday morning, has been slapped with charges under several non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code. On Thursday, the public prosecutor also described him as an extremely “influential” individual.

In the report submitted at the district court, the police identified him as the mastermind behind the attack on ED and CPAF sleuths on January 5. The public prosecutor even went to the extent of saying that if by chance he is released on bail, he will make all possible attempts to intimidate the witnesses and tamper with the evidence against him.