ED team attacked by casino director, staff in Goa: Report

An ED team led by an assistant director was assaulted at Cruise Casino Pride, an offshore casino, on Thursday afternoon, police said.

An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team was allegedly attacked by the director and staff members of an offshore casino vessel in Goa, police said on Saturday.

The accused threatened to cause injury to the complainant and his team, Goa Police said (Representational Photo)

According to the police, the incident occurred on Thursday at Cruise Casino Pride, and a case has been registered against several people, including the casino director and two senior members of its staff.

The complaint, lodged at the Panaji police station, read, "The staff assaulted Poluri Chenna Kesava Rao, an assistant director, and his team. The officials were confined in a room while conducting searches at the premises on Thursday afternoon.

A Goa Police spokesperson told PTI that the accused threatened to injure the complainant assistant director.

“The ED has also accused the casino director and staff of destroying the evidence the team had collected during their search in connection with a money laundering case,” the spokesperson added.

Last month, officials of the central agency were attacked in Delhi's Bijwasan area. An additional director of the ED team sustained injuries after it was attacked while investigating a case of cyber fraud.

As per reports, the officials had gone to raid a farmhouse belonging to a chartered accountant. However, on reaching, they were targeted by the suspect, Ashok Sharma, and his family members.

In January, members of the investigating agency were attacked in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali of the North24 Parganas district, leaving three officers injured.

The ED team had gone to Sandeshkhali for a raid at the house of Shahjahan Sheikh, a local strongman and a member of the state's ruling Trinamool Congress.