The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out raids at multiple locations in connection with an alleged land-grabbing case involving arrested and expelled TMC MLA Sheikh Shahjahan in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali.
The raids are currently underway and are being conducted in close collaboration with central security forces. Locations being raided include the residential places of suspects linked to the case.
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These raids are followed by Shahjahan’s arrest on charges of sexual violence and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali village. He was apprehended by West Bengal Police on February 29 from a hideout in Minakhan, North 24 Parganas district, and was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Earlier in February, the ED had raided nearly half a dozen locations in West Bengal in connection with the same case. In January, the federal agency conducted two separate raids at various locations in connection with the Public Distribution System (PDS) scam case, another case involving Shahjahan.
During a similar operation on January 5, ED officials were attacked while en route to conduct raids at Shahjahan’s and TMC leader Shankar Adhya’s residences in North 24 Parganas district. Nearly 200 locals, purportedly supporters of Shahjahan Sheikh, surrounded the officials and armed paramilitary forces, preventing them from proceeding. Two ED officials sustained injuries in the altercation. Following the attack, Shahjahan went absconding.
This incident sparked a political dispute, with Bharatiya Janata Party leaders criticizing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government for the law and order situation, while the TMC accused the agency of inciting the locals.
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Subsequently, the Ministry of Home Affairs requested a detailed report from the West Bengal government regarding the attacks.
Before his arrest, Shahjahan remained elusive, with both state police and central agencies unable to locate him. Recently, the Calcutta High Court instructed a joint Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and West Bengal Police to probe an assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Sandeshkhali.