Regarding the assault on officials of the Enforcement Directorate in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, in January, the CBI has submitted its inaugural charge sheet against Shahjahan Sheikh, a suspended TMC leader, and six other individuals.
Organiser E Exit poll Lok Sabha Elections 2024
The CBI, in a chargesheet exceeding 100 pages submitted on May 27 at a Basirhat court, has listed Shahjahan Sheikh, his brother Alamgir, Shiba prasad Hazra also known as Shibu Hazra, and Deedar Baksh as the accused individuals.
The CBI lodged the chargesheet against the accused, citing various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The roles of the other accused were determined during the investigation, and they have been charged accordingly.
The investigation uncovered that Shahjahan Sheikh played a central role behind the January 5 incident, during which Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were assaulted. The ED personnel were in Sandeshkhali to conduct searches at Sheikh’s home and office regarding allegations of money laundering related to proceeds of crime generated from irregularities in the procurement, processing, fortification, and distribution of ration via the PDS scheme.
TMC Terrorists attacking ED officials and CRPF jawans for carrying out their official duty in West Bengal.
They are protecting Ration scam accused who pilfered crores worth of food grains meant for poor.
Darbari media won’t report for obvious reasons pic.twitter.com/TROKSseC4j
— Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) January 5, 2024
Shahjahan Sheikh gained the limelight following the attack on an ED team en route to search his residence in Sarberia on January 5, resulting in injuries to several officials.
Horrific. The Law & Order Situation in West Bengal is in shambles.
ED Officials & CRPF Jawans brutally attacked in Sandeshkhali; North 24 Parganas district, while conducting Raid at TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan's house.
I doubt that Rohingyas are present amongst the Anti National… pic.twitter.com/XHboQsBVSX— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) January 5, 2024
Shahjahan Sheikh and his companions are also facing accusations of seizing land and engaging in sexual misconduct. These allegations emerged after the violent protests in Sandeshkhali, situated in the North 24 Parganas district.
Shahjahan Sheikh was arrested by the West Bengal Police on February 29 and then handed over to the CID for further investigation. Later, the Calcutta High Court directed that his custody be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On March 5, the CBI filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Sheikh and officially took charge of the case the following day.
The ED is investigating Shahjahan Sheikh’s alleged involvement in a ration distribution scandal. The central agency recently filed a new Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) regarding ‘irregularities’ in import-export activities. As part of the investigation, ED officials conducted searches at six different sites, including Howrah, Kolkata, and North 24 Parganas on February 23. They also searched the residences of numerous fish traders associated with Sheikh.
