Sandeshkhali: Shahjahan Sheikh charged with attempt to murder by CBI

Shahjahan Sheikh. File photo

Suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, his brother and five others have been charged with criminal conspiracy and attempt to murder by the CBI in connection with a mob attack on an Enforcement Directorate team in Sandeshkhali on January 5, reported PTI citiing officials on Tuesday.

The agency's first charge sheet in the case was filed on Monday before a Basirhat special court, they said.

The ED team was attacked by a 1,000-strong mob when it went to raid Sheikh's house in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal. It had also gone to arrest Sheikh because of his alleged close links with arrested former state food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, under the scanner in the scam, they said.

The charge sheet is against seven people, including Sheikh, his brother Alomgir and associates Jiauddin Mollah, Mafujar Mollah, and Didarbaksh Mollah, they said.

The CBI has invoked Indian Penal Code Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 307 (attempt to murder) on the accused besides rioting and unlawful assembly among a number of other charges, reported PTI.

Sandeshkhali, a riverine island around 80 km from Kolkata, has been in the news after local women alleged land-grabbing and sexual abuse by Sheikh and his men, who are involved in fish farming and trading.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has taken over investigation in three cases related to incidents on January 5.

"Investigation revealed that Shahjahan Sheikh was the key conspirator behind the incident in which ED officials were attacked when they went to conduct a search at his residential and official premises in a case on allegations of money laundering related to proceeds of crime generated from irregularities in procurement and distribution of ration through PDS scheme," a CBI spokesperson said.

Sheikh was arrested by the state police on February 29 and the CBI took him under its custody on March 6.

Two FIR's against Sheikh Shahjahan

The CBI, which is probing the attack on ED and CAPF personnel in West Bengal, has now included "attempt to murder" charges under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code into two FIRs against Sheikh Shahjahan. The suspended Trinamool Congress leader is the accused mastermind in the January 5 attack at Sandeshkhali.

The CBI has filed a total of three FIRs in the two cases of attacks on ED and CAPF officials on January 5 and submitted the FIRs at the Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court in North 24 Parganas District. Out of the three FIRs, two are against Sheikh Shahjahan in connection with the attack in front of his residence at Sandeshkhali. Sources said the charges of attempt to murder have been included to those two FIRs.

The third FIR is against another Trinamool Congress leader from Bongaon also in North 24 Parganas District, Shankar Adhya, who is already in judicial custody in connection with the multi-crore PDS case. Shahjahan was presented at Basirhat Sub-divisional Court on Saturday.