Sandeshkhali of the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal is in the news again. The once peaceful rural area has now become a political arena again. Sheikh Shahjahan, once Mamata’s favorite and local powerful leader of the Trinamool Congress, captured the Jar (wealth), Joru (women) and land here. This story, which began in 2011, came to light in 2024 when women began to speak out against cruelty. Shahjahan and his henchmen sexually abused, grabbed away lands and beat those who protested for years, which became difficult for them to bear. Sheikh Shahjahan once worked under the patronage of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary. Later he changed the party and became a strongman in the surrounding areas. In the same year, an ED team that was going to crack down on a money laundering case was attacked. After this Sheikh fled. However, as the political pressure increased, he was arrested, after which the case became even harder. Now this conspiracy has taken a new form. In fact, on Wednesday, the car of key witness Bholanath Ghosh, who was to testify against Shahjahan, was crushed by a truck. His son and driver are dead, while Ghosh is fighting for his life in a private hospital. Is this an obstruction of justice or a political game? The struggle of the women of Sandeshkhali has now deepened, where the shadow of fear and oppression continues to loom. ED officials pasted notices at the house of TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali after the raid. Let us try to know and understand the whole story of messageless violence. Who is Sheikh Shahjahan? Political change in Sandeshkhali started in 2011, when Mamata appeared in Bengal. From the local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh, who established his power in the town since 2011. Sheikh was active in the business of fish farming and sand mining before entering politics. However, with increasing dominance, cruelty also increased. He was accused of sexually exploiting local women, grabbing land and suppressing opponents. Everything was calm on the surface for 13 years ie till 2024. Since Shaikh was the president of the rural unit and was considered close to the Mamata Banerjee government, the women of the village were silent due to fear of him. Attack on ED The turning point of the story came in January 2024. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) team is going to raid Sheikh’s house. He was charged with money laundering and illegal sand mining. But on January 5, the ED team was attacked. A crowd of about 1,000 people pelted stones at officers and smashed vehicles, in which ED officer Satyajit Biswas was seriously injured. Before the ED team could reach, Sheikh escaped and went underground. The report said Sheikh’s supporters were said to have attacked the investigation team at his instigation. The opposition (BJP, CPI(M)) fiercely attacked the Mamata government. He called it the result of political patronage. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called it a conspiracy by ED. Security personnel locked the main gate of Bhavani Bhawan after CBI officials took away Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, accused in the Sandeshkhali case in Kolkata. What happened after the attack on ED? In February 2024, a fire broke out in Sandeshkhali. Women started speaking openly against Shahjahan Sheikh. The women accused Sheikh and his associates Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar of sexually harassing women since 2011. There were allegations that they grabbed lands and beat up those who protested. One woman began to tremble as she said that the nights in Sheikh’s mansion were very scary. Opposition parties also attacked. Attacking the Mamata government, BJP called it an ‘insult to the daughters of Bengal’. Many leaders including BJP leader Smriti Irani visited that area. TMC denied all the allegations. Shibu and Uttam were arrested under public pressure. Shaikh was still absconding but was arrested from Minakhan on 29 February. On the orders of the Calcutta High Court, CBI took over the investigation. The Supreme Court accused the state police of bias. What are the allegations? The case took a new turn after the arrest of Shahjahan Sheikh. CBI filed the charge sheet in April 2024. Sheikh was accused of abduction of women, rape, land grabbing and attack on ED. More than 50 women testified against Shahjahan Sheikh. Sheikh appealed for bail but the court rejected it. Sheikh suffered a major blow from his party when he was suspended. In May 2024, violence broke out again in Sandeshkhali. Clashes between TMC and BJP workers, in which 5 people were injured. At the same time, in this case, the National Commission for Women (NCW) reported that ‘under political protection, it was organized crime’. Arrest, action and now a new conspiracy. In June 2024, ED seized Sheikh’s assets worth Rs 1,200 crore, including fish farms, sand mines, hotels. In August, CBI registered a case against 42 people, of which Sheikh was the main accused. Now, when key witness Bholanath Ghosh was to testify against Shaikh, his car was hit by a truck on December 10. This accident happened on Basanti Highway, in which Ghosh’s son Satyajit (32) and driver Shahnoor Mollah (27) died instantly. Ghosh himself is fighting for his life in a hospital. Ghosh’s family accused Sheikh of the fatal attack.