Adhir Ranjan's ‘Sandeshkhali’ reference on TMC's Supreme Court-monitored Lok Sabha polls demand

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into Sandeshkhali case, hours after INDIA ally Trinamool Congress's MP Derek O'Brien sought an apex court-monitored Lok Sabha election.

"The Election Commission is a constitutional body, and if the TMC has requested the Supreme Court to monitor the election, it's their choice. However, I urge that the investigation in Sandeshkhali should be conducted by the Supreme Court," PTI quoted Chowdhury as saying. The Congress leader is known for his attacks on the TMC and its chief Mamata Banerjee.

Sandeshkhali, a village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, has been in the news recently after several women accused local TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan of sexual assault and land grabbing. Shahjahan was arrested earlier this month and has now been handed over to the CBI in connection with the case related to attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Sandeshkhali on January 5.

Earlier in the day, Brien had hit out at the Election Commission after it ordered the removal of Rajeev Kumar as West Bengal director general of police (DGP). The poll panel selected Vivek Sahay as the next Bengal top cop. However, the EC on Tuesday appointed Sanjay Mukherjee as the new DGP.

"BJP's filthy tricks destroying institutions like Election Commission of India. Are BJP so nervous to face people that they are turning ECI into a party office to target Opposition? ECI or His Master's Voice?" Derek O'Brien had posted on X.

"Transferring officers of elected state governments! For free and fair elections. We want Supreme Court-monitored Election 2024", he further said.

West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar had hit out at TMC over the Rajya Sabha MP's demand.

“The TMC is cribbing over the removal of Rajeev Kumar as they had some sinister design during the polls using him at the helm of the police department of the state,” the leader claimed.