Sandeskhali ED attack: CBI arrests 3, including Shajahan Sheikh’s brother

PTI, Mar 17, 2024, 8:16 AM IST

Representative image (Source: Pexels)

New Delhi: The CBI on Saturday arrested three people, including the brother of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, for being allegedly involved in the January 5 attack on an Enforcement Directorate team at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal, officials said.

Sheikh Alomgir, who is Shahjahan Sheikh’s brother, Mafujar Molla, the president of the TMC’s student wing in Sandeshkhali, and Sirajul Molla, a local, would be produced before a local court on Sunday.

The agency took into custody Sheikh’s brother and two others during their questioning.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over three FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police on the directions of the Calcutta High Court.

After detailed examination, and according to technical evidence collected, they were arrested by the CBI today, the officials said.

With these arrests, the number of people nabbed by the CBI in the case has increased to 14.

The agency suspects that these people were allegedly part of the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on January 5 and instigated a crowd to target the team when they went to raid the premises of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal, they said.

Sheikh was arrested on February 29 after 55 days on the run following violent protests led by women, alleging sexual atrocities and land grab. He went missing after a mob attacked the ED team that went to search his house in an alleged ration distribution scam.

The state CID took over the investigation into the allegations against him. He was later handed over to the CBI on an order of the Calcutta High Court.

On March 10, the court sent him to CBI custody for four days which was later extended by another eight days — till March 22.

The CBI has taken over the investigation in three cases related to incidents on January 5, when the ED team was attacked by an around 1,000-strong mob. A former state minister has been arrested in the ration scam case.

Sheikh was arrested by the state police on February 29, a day after the high court ordered that the CBI, ED or the West Bengal Police could arrest him.