The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at multiple locations in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali on Thursday as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged land-grabbing case involving arrested expelled TMC MLA Sheikh Shahjahan. The raids, conducted in coordination with central security forces, are currently underway, targeting the residences of individuals suspected of involvement in the case.
These actions by the agency come in the wake of Shahjahan’s recent arrest on charges of sexual violence and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali village. He was apprehended by the West Bengal Police on February 29 from a residence in Minakhan, North 24 Parganas district, where he had been hiding.
#WATCH | West Bengal: ED conducts raids at multiple locations in Sandeshkhali in connection with a land-grabbing case against arrested expelled TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan. pic.twitter.com/QEH2RU5rRm
— ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2024
Earlier, on February 23, the ED had conducted raids at multiple locations in West Bengal related to the same land-grabbing case. These latest raids are part of a new Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) connected to Shahjahan’s alleged involvement in land grabbing activities.
In addition to the land-grabbing case, the ED had also initiated investigations into the Public Distribution System (PDS) scam case involving Shahjahan. Previous raids conducted in January targeted multiple locations in connection with this case.
However, one of these search operations on January 5 encountered resistance when ED officials were attacked en route to raid Shahjahan and other TMC leader Shankar Adhya’s residences in North 24 Parganas district. Approximately 200 locals, believed to be supporters of the TMC leader, obstructed the officials and armed paramilitary forces, resulting in injuries to two ED officials.
This incident prompted a political dispute, with BJP leaders criticizing the state government’s handling of law and order issues, while the TMC accused the agency of provoking the locals. Subsequently, the Ministry of Home Affairs requested a detailed report from the West Bengal government regarding the attacks.
Before his arrest, Shahjahan had managed to evade capture, prompting authorities to intensify efforts 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 investigate the assault on ED officials in Sandeshkhali.
