Shahjahan’s arrest will bring new dawn of lawfulness in state, says Governor

Following the arrest of Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Sheikh Shahjahan for allegedly terrorising residents of Sandeshkhali, Governor C V Ananda Bose said the arrest will usher in a dawn of lawfulness in Bengal while hopefully putting an end to a cycle of violence.

The Bengal Police arrested Shahjahan in the early hours of Thursday from Minakha in Basirhat. People in Sandeshkhali have been staging agitation for more than a month demanding his arrest along with his aides who have allegedly grabbed lands and sexually assaulted women. The Opposition parties had kept the state government and the ruling party Trinamool Congress in crosshairs for failing to arrest Shahjahan. Bose told the media that the arrest will pave the way for a new dawn of lawfulness in Bengal. He said this will put an end to a cycle of violence in the state. He said: “This is the beginning of an end. We have to put an end to the cycle of violence in Bengal. In parts of Bengal, the goons are ruling the roost. This must end and the gangsters should be put behind bars.”

The Governor had given a 72-hour deadline to the state government to submit to him a report on the progress made by the police in arresting Shahjahan. After the arrest, he said: “I had assured the people there will be light at the end of the tunnel. This is democracy. Despite a wait, it has been done. This is a lesson for everyone. Now, let’s hope a new dawn of lawfulness will come back to Bengal.”

Bose also claimed that the Sandeshkhali incident is only the tip of an iceberg, suggesting there is much more to it than what meets the eye.