Kolkata: Following Calcutta High Court’s order CID on Wednesday evening had handed over Sandeshkhali main accused Sheikh Shahjahan to CBI.
After taking charge of Shahjahan, he was taken to hospital for medical treatment.
Earlier this day after Enforcement Directorate (ED) once again moved High Court over transfer of custody of Shahjahan to the CBI and bench of Justice Harish Tandon had uphold the order of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam on Tuesday and said that the transfer of custody should be done within 4:15 pm.
Following the order the central sleuths had reached Bhabani Bhawan before 4pm.
Before the transfer of custody, the state CID had taken Shahjahan to SSKM hospital for medical checkup and on returning to Bhabani Bhawan the CID gave CBI Shahjahan’s custody.
Political slugfest started after the state government had moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the High Court and even on Wednesday Justice Sanjiv Khanna had turned down the plea of West Bengal government counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s ‘fasttrack hearing’ of the same.
Meanwhile, the CBI on Wednesday had lodged three new FIR on ED officials attack incident out of which two are against Shahjahan and one is against Shankhar Adhya.
It can be recalled, that on January 5, when the ED officials went to raid Shahjahan’s house at Sandeshkhali in connection to multi-crore ration distribution scam, they were mobbed by the supporters of Shahajahan following which the TMC leader were absconding for over 50 days.
It is pertinent to mention that on Tuesday division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam had asked for immediate transfer of Shahjahan to CBI following which the state government moved the apex court. Citing ‘sub-judice’ issue, the same CID didn’t transfer custody of Shahjahan to CBI on Tuesday.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) minister Firhad Hakim said that the central agencies are ‘biased’.
“Why can’t the state police investigate the matter? The central agencies are not Gods. Why is the investigation of the stolen Nobel prize of Rabindranath Tagore still pending?” questioned Hakim.
State irrigation minister Partha Bhowmick added that the delay was due to the ‘process’ and not ‘intentional’ by the state government.
The BJP however, expressed happiness and claimed that the ‘truth’ will be out soon.
