Sandeshkhali Case: Calcutta HC Grants Leave To ED To File Contempt Petition Over WB Police Not Giving Shajahan’s Custody To CBI

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to submit a contempt petition against the West Bengal government. This was regarding the state police's failure to hand over custody of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh to the CBI, despite a court order.

Deputy Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi, representing the ED, requested permission to file the contempt petition and urged for an urgent hearing, citing the loss of crucial time in transferring Sheikh's custody to the CBI.

The high court had previously directed the transfer of investigation to the CBI following a mob attack on ED officials during a search at Sheikh's premises in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas district, on January 5, in connection with a ration scam probe.

The court had also mentioned that the CID should handover Shahjahan to CBI and all the documents by 4:30 pm same day. The division bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam of Calcutta High Court had ordered that three FIRs of Nazat and Basirhat police stations should be probed by the central agency.

However, Following the court’s order CBI officers along with central forces have reached Bhabani Bhaban where Shahjahan is kept and even after waiting for over two hours had to return empty handed as CBI sources said that the CID refused to handover Shahjahan as the state government had moved Supreme Court challenging the order of High Court.

Notably, on January 5, ED officers were attacked and mobbed by people after they went to raid Shahjahan’s house in connection to multi-crore ration distribution scam.

The January 5 incident led to violent protests by the villagers against Shahjahan and alleged that he forcibly took lands of the villagers and turned it into fisheries and also used to sexually harass women.

(With inputs from PTI)