Kolkata: Just hours after the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday transferred the investigation into the attack on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali region to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government in the state moved the Supreme Court, challenging the Calcutta HC order on the transfer of probe, Republic has learnt.

Catch all the latest developments in the Sandeshkhali violence case here:

Bengal CID Refuses To Hand Over Shahjahan To CBI

The West Bengal government has refused the handover of suspended Trinamool's strongman Sheikh Shahjahan to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team despite a Calcutta High Court order to the police's criminal investigation department. The court had directed the police to transfer custody of Shahjahan, as well as case materials, by 4.30 pm today. However, the CBI team at 7.30 pm left the police HQ in Kolkata empty-handed. 

NCW Report on Sandeshkhali Recommends President's Rule in Bengal

National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma met with President Droupadi Murmu earlier today and presented a report on the Sandeshkhali incident, recommending President's Rule in West Bengal, news agency ANI reported. "Sandeshkhali is not an isolated incident. Previously also many incidents of violence have been reported in the state and no action has been taken by the state government. Hence, the NCW recommended to President Droupadi Murmu to impose President's rule in the state," news agency PTI quoted NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma as saying.

‘Satyamev Jayate’, Says BJP Leader Shehzad Poonawalla on Transfer of Probe to CBI

The Kolkata High Court transferring the matter of Sandeshkhali violence from the West Bengal Police to the CBI evokes only one response - 'Satyamev Jayate', BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla told news agency ANI. "They [TMC] pretended to remove him [Sheikh Shahjahan] from the party and arrested him after the High Court started interfering in the matter. The bigger concern, however, is that there is a Shahjahan in every office of the TMC. One Shahjahan has been suspended for the sake of it, but there are so many others like him who are being protected [by the TMC]," Poonawalla told ANI.

CBI Team Arrives at CID Headquarters in Kolkata

A CBI team has arrived at the CID headquarters (Bhabani Bhavan) in Kolkata after the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of primary accused and suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh's custody to the CBI.

The attack which took place in the violence-torn region of Sandeshkhali was allegedly masterminded by ration-scam accused and suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh. Subsequently, a probe into the attack on ED officials was launched against jailed party leader Shahjahan Sheikh.

Following the court’s order, the state will have to handover the custody of Shahjahan Sheikh to the CBI, along with crucial documents related to the case, reports suggest. Shahjahan Sheikh was arrested and suspended from the Trinamool Congress last week.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya also stated that the CBI will take over the case related to the attack on ED officers in Sandeshkhali on January 5.

Following his arrest, the Calcutta High Court had stated that the court had “no sympathy” for the Trinamool leader, thus asking his lawyers to appear before it on March 4, when a suo motu motion on alleged sexual atrocities and land grabbing at Sandeshkhali will be heard.

Earlier, during the hearing on Monday, the lawyers appearing for central agencies said the state police acted in collusion with the accused and the matter needed to be transferred to the CBI. However, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju told the court that the state police did not do anything and mischievously arrested him in specific matters to defeat the investigation.