In the trouble-plagued region of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, early on Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate raided a brick kiln owned by suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali.
The land grab case against Sheikh Shahjahan was the reason behind the searches. Women jawans and other paramilitary forces accompanied the probe agency officials.
Around 6:30 am, a number of teams from the Enforcement Directorate arrived in Sandeshkhali. A crew was conducting searches in the Dhamakhali neighbourhood of Sandeshkhali, while another team was raiding Sheikh Shahjahan’s brick kiln.
Raids were also conducted by the Enforcement Directorate at the Kolkata home of Trinamool Congress leader Nazrul Mollah. Sandeshkhali fisheries are managed by Nazrul Mollah.
In the meantime, Sheikh Shahjahan remains in CBI custody until March 14 in relation to the January 5 attack on an Enforcement Directorate team in Sandeshkhali.
Three cases involving incidents on January 5, when officials from the probe agency were ambushed by a crowd of about a thousand people as they went to search Sheikh Shahjahan’s property in connection with the agency’s investigation into an alleged ration distribution scam, have been turned over to the CBI. In the ration case, a former state minister has been taken into custody.
West Bengal Police detained Sheikh Shahjahan on February 29 after he had been evading capture for about two months. One day after the Calcutta High Court gave the go-ahead for the CBI, ED, or police to detain him, he was arrested.
A verbal spat between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP has resulted from a number of women in Sandeshkhali holding rallies against Sheikh Shahjahan and his colleagues, accusing them of land theft and coerced sexual assault.
In relation to the January 5 attack on an ED team, the CBI on Monday detained three of Sheikh Shahjahan’s alleged allies, including his security guard, according to officials.
Nine of Sheikh Shahjahan’s assistants and acquaintances were also called in by the CBI on Monday to be questioned about the matter.
According to officials, the agency believes that these nine people were involved in the attack on Enforcement Directorate officers and encouraged the throng to attack the team when they went to raid Sheikh Shahjahan’s Sandeshkhali property.
