Residents celebrate after the arrest of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan at Sandeshkhali village in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on February 29, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Residents in trouble-torn Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on February 29 celebrated the arrest of TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, accused of sexual abuse of women and land grab in the area, and distributed sweets.

The residents, who for the last few days have been protesting in the riverine Sandeshkhali area, came out in the streets as they distributed sweets and danced in joy as they celebrated the arrest of Shahjahan, who has been absconding for the last 55 days.

“We are very happy that he has been arrested at last. We just hope he should be put behind bars and never return to this area. He has destroyed lives of many people area”, a local said.

Echoing similar sentiments, a woman said, “We hope that his other associates are also put behind bars”.

The riverine Sandeshkhali area — situated on the borders of the Sundarbans, about 100 kilometres from Kolkata — has been on the boil for more than a month with protests over allegations of sexual abuse and land grab against Shahjahan Sheikh and his supporters.

The unrest in the area stems from accusations against Shahjahan and his supporters of land grabbing and sexual assault with the local TMC strongman evading authorities since a mob attack on Enforcement Directorate officials on January 5.

Shahjahan Sheikh was arrested on Thursday morning from a house in Minakhan, around 30 km away from the island of Sandeshkhali. Sheikh was hiding in the house along with a few associates, police said.