Sandeshkhali ED attack probe: CBI arrests 3 aides of suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the alleged physical attacks on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials during a failed raid at Shahjahan Sheikh House, Sandeshkhali, on January 5, arrested three close lieutenants of the suspended TMC leader in connection with the assaults, official sources said on Tuesday.

The CBI arrested the trio—Ziauddin Mollah, Didar Baksh Mollah, and Faruque Akunji—after hours of interrogation at the Nizam Palace in the city on Monday evening.

They were arrested after being summoned to the CBI headquarters.

Mollah is TMC's Sarberia-Agarhati Gramme Panchayat chief, and Didar Baksh is a professional security man.

This was the first such arrest in the attacks on the ED officials by the CBI after the Calcutta High Court on March 6 asked the anti-corruption agency to probe the alleged attacks. The CBI is also probing the alleged attack on the ED officials at Bongaon, also in the North 24 Parganas, when TMC leader and former Bongaon Municipality chairman were arrested, also on January 5.

The CBI suspected that the trio was present during the attacks on the ED officials at Sandeshkhali on January 5 in the morning.

The ED went there in a search operation to Sahjahan House in relation to the alleged PDS scam. But the federal agency officials literally fled for their lives along with some CRPF jawans after being attacked by an angry mob, sources said, allegedly the followers of Sahjahan Sheikh, who was arrested on February 29 by the West Bengal police.

The prime accused was now in CBI custody following a Calcutta high court order.

The trio is expected to be produced before a court later on Tuesday.