ED attack: Lookout notice issued against TMC’s ‘Bhai’ Shahjahan Sheikh
On Friday, an ED team on its way to conduct a raid on Shahjahan Sheikh’s house was attacked, allegedly by supporters of the TMC leader in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
New Delhi: Day after a team of sleuths from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was attacked by a mob in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, the probe agency on Saturday issued a lookout notice to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh.
On Friday, an ED team was attacked, allegedly by supporters of the TMC leader, while they were on their way to raid Sheikh’s house in connection with the alleged Public Distribution System (PDS) scam case.
The ED said three of its officers sustained ‘grievous’ injuries after a mob vandalized his vehicles during a raid on Sheikh’s residence. The crowd also took their personal belongings such as mobile phones and wallets.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared a video of Shahjahan Sheikh, in which the TMC leader can be heard boasting about the CBI and the ED not being able to touch even “a single lock of my hair”. In the video, reportedly from a public meeting on January 1, Sheikh can also be heard threatening to “break teeth” and “execute” BJP workers and leaders after 2024 “if he was angry”.
Yesterday, Mamata Banerjee’s spokespeople came out in full force to defend Shahjahan Sheikh, the criminal, who ordered an attack on ED officials and media in Sandeshkhali.
In a public speech on January 1, 2024, Shahjahan claimed that CBI and ED are… pic.twitter.com/wARh0GDy3O
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 6, 2024
ED arrests Shankar Adhya
Meanwhile, the Central Investigation Agency arrested TMC leader Shankar Adhya earlier today in connection with the alleged ration scam in West Bengal. Adhya, former chairman of Bongaon Municipality, was arrested by police in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.
Adhya, a TMC leader in North 24 Parganas district, was arrested from his residence at Simultola in Bongaon after the agency conducted searches of properties linked to him and his family members. These searches lasted at least 17 hours on Friday, they said.
Another ‘attack’ on ED officials
Officials said that after Adhya’s arrest, his supporters allegedly tried to prevent investigators from taking him away, in addition to throwing stones at their vehicles. “The CRPF personnel accompanying the ED team had to attack the crowd with batons to control the situation,” she added.
“In addition to the searches, Adhya was also interrogated. He was arrested as his answers were not satisfactory,” an ED officer said.
“After the arrest, his supporters, led by women, tried to stop the officers from taking him away. The accompanying CRPF personnel brought the situation under control,” he said.
This was the second attack on the station after the one in Sandeshkhali in neighboring South 24 Parganas district on Friday.
‘Will cooperate in every way possible’
Adhya is believed to be close to state minister Jyotipriyo Mallick, who was arrested last year in connection with the alleged scam.
Along with properties belonging to the TMC leader, the ED had conducted searches at the residences of his in-laws, his associates and an ice cream factory linked to it.
Besides documents, the ED has seized around Rs 8 lakh cash from the in-laws’ residence, the officer said.
Shortly after his arrest, Adhya told reporters, “I will cooperate with the ED and help them in every possible way.”
He was taken to the ED office in Salt Lake in the early hours itself and will be produced before a court in Calcutta later in the day.
(With PTI inputs)