Sandeshkhali unrest: CBI summons brother of Shahjahan Sheikh in ED assault case

Shahjahan Sheikh, who has been suspended from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), was arrested on January 5 in a case related to a mob attack on ED officials at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.

CBI takes Shahjahan Sheikh, accused in Sandeshkhali incident, to Joka ESI Hospital for medical examination after being handed over to Crime Investigation Department (CID), South 24 Parganas on March 6. (ANI photo)

Sandeshkhali unrest: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday summoned Alamgir Sheikh, brother of arrested TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and some of his close aides for questioning in connection with the attack on a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in the restive Sandeshkhali enclave in West Bengal. on January 5 this year.

According to an official statement, a team of CBI sleuths, accompanied by local police, arrived at Alamgir Sheikh’s residence at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. However, he was not at home and the summons was served on his family.

Alamgir has been questioned in connection with the January 5 mob attack on ED officials in Sandeshkhali, the probe agency said.

The CBI said a similar notice had also been served on a few other people, considered close to Shajahan Sheikh, who was arrested by West Bengal police last month.

A relative of another local panchayat leader, who was served the notice, acknowledged its receipt, news agency PTI reported.

According to officials, the CBI wants to question several people in connection with its investigation in the case against Shahjahan Sheikh.

Arrest of Shahjahan Sheikh

Shahjahan Sheikh, who has been suspended from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), was arrested on January 5 in a case related to a mob attack on ED officials at Sandeshkhali in Parganas district of North 24 in West Bengal, when the central service had started searching his premises in connection with an alleged ration distribution fraud.

Speaking to a television channel, Sandeshkhali MLA Sukumar Mahata of TMC claimed that on the day of the incident, he had called Sheikh asking for help to control the crowd but “Sheikh had said he was not around” .

Last week, on March 8, CBI sleuths along with forensic and ED officials searched Shahjahan Sheikh’s residence in Sandeshkhali in connection with the investigation into an attack on an ED team in the area.

On Tuesday, a district magistrate in Basirhat remanded the suspended TMC leader to 10 days’ CBI custody. The Calcutta High Court had transferred the case to the CBI on March 5.

Sandeshkhali Unrest

Since the first week of February this year, villages in Sandeshkhali region have been witnessing protests over allegations of sexual atrocities against women and land grabbing by TMC leaders, including the prime suspect, Shahjahan Sheikh.

A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused TMC strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of “land grabbing and sexual abuse” of them forcibly.

After the attack on ED officials, Sheikh was on the run for 55 days before he was arrested by a special team of West Bengal Police last week.

(With PTI inputs)