ED Conducts Raids In Sandeshkhali Following Sheikh Shahjahan's Arrest

Raids were conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on a brick kiln belonging to suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan in trouble-torn Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, early on Thursday.

Probe agency officials, accompanied by paramilitary personnel, including women's forces, were involved in the operation.

ED Conducts Raids in Sandeshkhali

At approximately 6:30 am, several teams of the Enforcement Directorate reached Sandeshkhali. While one team was raiding Sheikh Shahjahan's brick kiln, another team was conducting searches in the Dhamakhali area in Sandeshkhali. Raids were also carried out at the residence of Trinamool Congress leader Nazrul Mollah in Kolkata. Nazrul Mollah is involved in fisheries operations in Sandeshkhali.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Shahjahan is currently in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody till March 14 (Thursday) in connection with the attack on an Enforcement Directorate team in Sandeshkhali on January 5. The CBI has taken over the investigation in three cases related to incidents on January 5 when probe agency officials were attacked by an approximately 1000-strong mob when they went to search Sheikh Shahjahan's premises in connection with the agency's investigation into an alleged ration distribution scam case. A former state minister has been arrested in the ration case.

Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested by the West Bengal Police on February 29 after being on the run for nearly two months. The arrest came a day after the Calcutta High Court ordered that the CBI, Enforcement Directorate or the police could arrest him. Several women in Sandeshkhali have been staging protests against Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates, accusing them of land grab and sexual assault under coercion, sparking a war of words between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.

On Monday, the CBI arrested three alleged associates of Sheikh Shahjahan, including his security guard, in connection with the January 5 attack on an Enforcement Directorate team. The CBI had also summoned nine aides and associates of Sheikh Shahjahan for questioning in the case on Monday.

The agency suspects that these nine individuals were allegedly part of the attack on Enforcement Directorate officials and instigated the crowd to target the team when they went to raid the premises of Sheikh Shahjahan at Sandeshkhali.