Key Accused in Sandeshkhali ED Attack Finally Apprehended
The Central Bureau of Investigation's Anti-Corruption Branch in Kolkata has achieved a significant breakthrough in the high-profile Sandeshkhali case with the arrest of Abul Hossen Molla, who was also known by the alias Duronto. The arrest took place on Wednesday evening from South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, bringing an end to a months-long manhunt for the prime accused.
Months of Evasion and Legal Action
According to official sources, Molla had been actively avoiding investigation since his alleged involvement in the violent mob attack against Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali area back in January 2024. The accused had consistently ignored multiple notices issued by the CBI directing him to join the investigation process. His continuous evasion prompted the judicial system to take stern action, with a competent court issuing a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against him after he failed to make any court appearances and remained underground.
CBI officials confirmed that the arrested individual is being produced before the court today as the investigation into the Sandeshkhali attack case continues to unfold. The arrest marks a crucial development in a case that has drawn national attention and political scrutiny.
Broader Political Context of Sandeshkhali
The arrest comes against the backdrop of ongoing political tensions in Sandeshkhali, a village located in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. The area had witnessed massive protests earlier this year when local villagers, predominantly women, took to the streets demonstrating against the ruling Trinamool Congress and its prominent leader Shahjahan. The protestors leveled serious allegations of land grabbing and sexual assault carried out under coercion by Shahjahan and his associates.
The situation had escalated to such an extent that the Calcutta High Court intervened, directing a court-monitored investigation by the CBI into the alleged cases of sexual assault and illegal land acquisition in Sandeshkhali. Multiple women from the island community had come forward with harrowing accounts of excesses and atrocities committed against them while also accusing the strongman and his aides of systematically seizing their land properties.
The political dimension of the case remains intense, with both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Trinamool Congress exchanging allegations and counter-allegations regarding the Sandeshkhali incidents. Shahjahan, the central figure in the controversy, was subsequently arrested, but the case continues to reverberate through West Bengal's political landscape.
