Suspended TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan was sent to six-day police custody by a court in Kolkata in the Sandeshkhali Enforcement Directorate (ED) assault case. “The CBI had prayed for six-day police custody of Sheikh Shahjahan, Sukumar Sardar and Mehbul Molla in case no. 8 of Nazat Police Station. The learned court allowed it…,” Raja Bhaumik, the lawyer representing Sheikh Shahjahan and other accused in the Sandeshkhali ED assault case told media.
Sharing details of the court proceedings, Bhaumik said that they had filed bail petition on medical grounds.”…We have filed bail prayer on medical grounds (for a few of the accused) and we showed the medical documents, the Court heard our argument and gave the order. We are yet to go through the order,” Bhaumik shared.
Bhaumik also shared that Shahjahan has a spine problem but his medical records were confiscated by the ED officials when they raided his place.
“Sheikh Shahjahan has also some medical issues. He has a spine problem. We filed a petition in this regard. The medical document is in his house that has been sealed by the CBI,” Bhaumik said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on March 22 produced Shahjahan and other accused in the Sandeshkhali ED assault case before a court in Kolkata.
Meanwhile, Shahjahan’s brother, Sheikh Alamgir and other accused were produced in Basirhat Court on March 22.
Alamgir who was arrested by the CBI for alleged involvement in orchestrating the January 5 attack on officials of the Enforcement Directorate, was sent to five days’ custody of the central agency, his advocate said on March 17.
The CBI on March 16 arrested Alamgir and two others for allegedly spearheading an attack on the visiting ED team on January 5. Earlier, on the directive of the Calcutta High Court, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Kolkata Police handed custody of Sheikh Shahjahan to the CBI.
Issuing a contempt notice to the CID, the high court ruled on March 20, that the case pertaining to the attack on ED officials be handed over to the CBI along with the custody of the prime accused, Shahjahan.
The court further observed that state police played ‘hide and seek’ in the matter. “The accused is a political influencer. The investigation should be handed over to the CBI and the custody of the accused by 4:15 pm today,” the high court observed.
After reportedly being on the run for close to two months, the now-suspended TMC strongman was arrested by West Bengal Police on February 29. The women of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district came out on the streets, accusing Shahjahan and his aides of grave excesses and atrocities.
Multiple women on the island accused Shajahan and his aides of “land-grab and sexual assault” under coercion.
(with inputs from ANI)
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