'Highly shameful' even if only 1 pc of Sandeshkhali allegations true: Calcutta HC
Sandeshkhali were found to be true, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday said that West Bengal's image as the safest state for women will fall. Petitioner-lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal submitted a voluminous compilation before the court which she said contained around 100 affidavits of alleged victims of sexual assault, apart from those of land grabbing and violence.
«If at least one per cent (of the allegations) is true, it is highly shameful,» a division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam said.
The division bench was hearing a suo motu motion on alleged sexual assault and land grabbing at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district and petitions seeking transfer of investigation of these cases to the CBI.
Opposing the prayers for transfer of investigation, West Bengal's Advocate General Kishore Dutta claimed before the division bench that central agencies have lost the trust posed in them.
He questioned the conviction rate of central agencies in cases they were probing in the state, while the Enforcement Directorate's counsel accused it of non-cooperation in taking forward investigations.
Maintaining that it is shameful if even one of the affidavits is correct, the Chief Justice said, «The entire district administration and the ruling dispensation have to owe moral responsibility, 100 per cent responsibility.»
He said that West Bengal boasts of a statistics report to be the safest state for women.
«As per the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) report, West Bengal stands number one for safety of
