The Calcutta high court on Wednesday ordered the formation of a special investigation team (SIT), comprising an equal number of officers from both the West Bengal Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to trace Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh, who allegedly masterminded an attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that left three officials of the federal agency injured earlier this month.
According to lawyers who represented the two federal agencies, a single bench of justice Jay Sengupta ordered the formation of the SIT, but said that no officer from police stations in North 24 Parganas, where the attack took place, should be deployed in the investigation. The court also said that the SIT can seek assistance from central paramilitary forces to carry out its operations.
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“The bench said that a report of the SIT’s investigation cannot be submitted before any other court without its permission. The bench will hear the case again on February 12. The CBI and state police teams will be headed by officers of the rank of superintendent of police,” an advocate involved in the proceedings, who did not want to be named, said.
The court also said that the SIT will probe complaints filed by ED after the attack as well as those filed by the local police against the federal agency, on the basis of complaints by Sheikh’s family.
The ED team was attacked in Sandeshkhali area on January 5 when it tried to search Sheikh’s house in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam. At least three ED officials were injured and their vehicles damaged in the attack by a mob, despite the presence of paramilitary personnel.
Shahjahan is considered to be a close aide of state minister Jyotipriyo Mallick, who was arrested in the multi-crore scam in October last year. While seven people have been arrested so far, Sheikh continues to remain at large.
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The lawyer quoted above said that in the court, CBI expressed its reservations about conducting a joint investigation, arguing that the state police have not been cooperating with the central agency, but this was not accepted. “During the hearing, the judge criticised the local police and ED for failing to trace Shahjahan Sheikh in 12 days,” the lawyer said.
A CBI officer, who also did not wish to be identified, said: “We are waiting for a copy of the court order. We have to seek legal opinion because as a federal agency, we have to follow central government rules to begin investigations.”
The order to form an SIT a day after justice Sengupta ordered installation of security cameras at the residence and business establishments of Sheikh, a direction which was carried out by the state police on Wednesday.
“The police came and installed the cameras. I haven’t had any contact with my brother since the incident. I have no idea where he is,” Sheikh Alamgir, the TMC leader’s younger brother, told reporters.
The case has seen a bitter battle both within and outside court, with the ED alleging that Sheikh is a suspect in the alleged multi-crore public distribution scam.
The federal agency has accused West Bengal Police of diluting the charges pressed against accused persons in case.
The state police, meanwhile, registered a first information report (FIR) against the ED team based on a complaint lodged by Didar Baksh Mollah, the caretaker of the TMC leader’s house, who accused the ED officials of theft and misbehaving with women when they went to raid the premises. Mollah alleged that a sum of ₹1.35 lakh and some documents were stolen during the raid.
ED, however, rejected the allegations and said they did not even enter the house because it was locked from the inside. The agency also said that Sheikh was in the building at that time.
The Calcutta high court ordered an interim stay on Bengal police’s FIR till March 31 on Thursday.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) also alleged that one of the officers in the ED team, which went to conduct the raid, is named as an accused in a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
On the high court’s directive on Wednesday, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said: “We welcome it but can anyone trust the state police? We have heard from local people that Sheikh was seen at Sarberia, Dhamakhali and other locations. The police could have easily nabbed him but it cannot take any action unless the green signal comes from top TMC leaders.”
TMC Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen, however, said: “We won’t comment on today’s order but it is public knowledge that the high court pulled up CBI several times in the past for its failure to complete investigations.”
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
