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ED accuses WB police of diluting attack case; TMC says officer named in CBI FIR
A team of the Enforcement Directorate came under attack from a mob when they went to raid the house of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas on Friday
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused the West Bengal police of diluting the charges pressed against accused persons in the Sandeshkhali case, in which a team of the federal agency came under attack from a mob when they went to raid the house of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader.
The TMC, meanwhile, has alleged that one of the officers in the ED team, which went to raid the house of the TMC leader at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas on Friday, is named as an accused in a CBI investigation.
A statement issued by the federal agency on Monday said that IPC sections dealing with charges such as attempt to murder, voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant and dacoity were dropped from the FIR registered by the state police.
“ED teams were attacked and a complaint was made to the police for registration of FIR for offences under sections 307, 333, 326, 353, 392, 395, 397, 149, 148, 186, 189, 426, 435, 440, 341 and 342 of IPC. Police registered FIR at Nazat police station for offences under section 147, 148, 149, 341, 186, 353, 323, 427, 379, 504 and 34 (mostly bailable and non-scheduled sections). Copy of the FIR has not been shared with the directorate,” said the ED’s statement.
“We will take strict action against whoever has taken the law in their own hands. Whoever has broken the law,” said Rajeev Kumar, DGP of West Bengal.
On Friday a team of ED officials was attacked when they went to raid the house of Shahjahan Sheikh, a block level TMC leader having close links with arrested state food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal. Central force personnel who were accompanying the ED team were also attacked at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas. Three ED officers had to be hospitalised.
The ED statement also said that the magnitude of the scam was ‘enormous’ and the proceeds of crime received and transferred by just one suspect was ₹9000 – ₹10,000 crore. Around ₹2000 crore has been transferred to Dubai, it claimed.
West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose on Sunday sought a clarification from the Mamata Banerjee-administration on why Sheikh hasn’t been arrested and whether he is India or has fled from the country by crossing the international border.
“Sheikh Shahjahan is here only. Fake news is being spread that he might have fled to Bangaldesh. He is taking legal opinion. The state police will ascertain whom to arrest. But as far I have come to know he was not there in the house when the ED went to raid and he has nothing to do with the attack,” Sukumar Mahato, TMC legislator of Sandeshkahli, told the media.
On Sunday top brass of the CRPF and ED met the Governor at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata following which Bose sent a strong warning to the state police. The ED has already issued a look out notice against Sheikh.
“CBI is conducting a probe against ED’s assistant director Rajkumar Ram in connection with a corruption case. He has been named in the CBI’s FIR. It is unfortunate that the ED officer, who went to investigate a case against a TMC leader and broke open locked doors, is involved in a corruption case himself,” said Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson.
“The TMC has no moral right to say this. A specific case is pending against the newly-appointed DGP. Names of at least 100 police officers of the state police, including senior IPS officers and a few who have recently retired, have cropped up in the investigation during the coal and cattle smuggling scam,” Suvendu Adhikari, told media persons.
