An independent fact-finding team led by former Chief Justice of Patna High Court L Narasimha Reddy was detained on Sunday while attempting to investigate alleged atrocities on women and land grabbing in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district.The six-member team comprised, former IPS officer Raj Pal Singh, former National Commission for Women member Charu Wali Khanna, advocates O P Vyas and Bhavna Bajaj, and senior journalist Sanjeev Nayak. They were stopped by police near Sandeshkhali, where several women have accused local Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his supporters of sexual assault. The team also aimed to investigate allegations of land grabbing by Trinamool leaders for fish farms.#WATCH | Six members of the fact-finding team including former Patna HC Chief Justice L Narasimha Reddy, OP Vyas, Charu Wali Khanna, Bhavna Bajaj, Rajpal Singh and Sanjeev Nayak have been released from PHQ Lal Bazaar, Kolkata.They were arrested by West Bengal Police at… pic.twitter.com/xSd4NnH9Hx— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2024Why did Police detain the fact-finding teamPolice cited Section 144 CrPC, which prohibits assembly of more than four people in certain areas, for detaining the team. However, Reddy and other members contested the action and said that they were denied access despite adhering to the regulation.Fact Finding team of ex-bureaucrats, and judge were arrested after being stopped from entering Sandeshkhali.Mamata fears that many skeletons will be unearthed if the fact-finding team discovers illegal Rohingya settlements and mass land grabbing by Bahubalis. pic.twitter.com/Ac0xT9FZnG— BALA (@erbmjha) February 25, 2024This is completely illegal, said Reddy. We were prepared to follow the rules and enter in small groups. What are they trying to hideCharu Wali Khanna, a former National Commission for Women member, called the detention murder of democracy. BJP fact-finding team was stoppedThis incident follows a similar one involving a BJP fact-finding team earlier this month. A few days ago, BJP had sent a team consisting of Union minister Annapurna Devi, Pratima Bhowmik, MP Sunita Duggal, Kavita Patidar, Sangeeta Yadav, and Rajya Sabha member and former director general of police of Uttar Pradesh Brij Lal, who were stopped by police.
