Calcutta HC directs CBI to submit report against Sheikh Shahjahan in ED officer assault case

Kolkata, April 29 (IANS) A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Tuesday, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a report against expelled Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan in the case where the latter had been accused as the mastermind in organising a mob attack on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials and their accompanying Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel in front of his residence at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal in January last year.

The ED officials and their accompanying CAPF personnel faced the mob attack by Shahjahan's associates while a raid and search operation was attempted at his residence at Sandeshkhali in the morning of January 5 this year.

The attempted raid and search operations were conducted in connection with Shahjahan's alleged involvement in the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal.

Three ED officials received severe injuries because of the attack and had to be hospitalised.

The matter came up for hearing at Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh on Tuesday and then the CBI counsel told the court that the investigating officials have secured additional clues during the course of investigation.

Thereafter, Justice Ghosh directed the CBI to submit a progress report over the investigation of the matter within the next seven days.

The next hearing on the matter has been scheduled for May 7.

Shahjahan was initially arrested by the police officers of West Bengal Police and was later handed over to the CBI when the central agency took charge of the investigation.

Recently, his counsel moved the Calcutta High Court with a bail petition.

On Monday, while arguing in favour of bail for his clients, Shahjahan's counsel said that his client had been in jail for the last 15 months and the CBI had not been able to establish the charges against him.

However, the CBI counsel opposed the bail plea and informed the court that the investigating officials had secured additional clues against the accused in the matter.

Besides, the attack on the ED officials and their accompanying CAPF personnel, there were several other charges against Shahjahan and his associates which included the illegal grabbing of farmland at Sandeshkhali and converting them into fisheries by illegally flowing in saline water there and most importantly sexual harassment of local women.

Sandeshkhali was affected by violence for a substantial part of 2024 as the local people mainly led by women had hit the streets protesting against Shahjahan and his associates.

--IANS

src/khz