ED Officials Face Troubles In Ration Distribution Scam Probe Against TMC Leader: First Attacked, Then FIR Registered In Bengal

On Saturday (6 January), the West Bengal Police filed three First Information Reports (FIRs) related to an assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in the Sandeshkhali region of the North 24 Parganas district.

The agency's officials were accused of "criminal trespass" and "intending to outrage a woman's modesty". The remaining two FIRs were lodged against unidentified individuals, according to the officials.

On Friday, a group of men and women assaulted the investigating agency's officials. This incident occurred while the team was conducting a search at the residence of Shahjahan Sheikh, a member of the TMC Zilla Parishad, in relation to a suspected ration distribution scam.

Per law enforcement authorities, three FIRs were registered. The first was based on a complaint from the custodian of Sheikh's residence, the second stemmed from a complaint lodged by the ED on Friday, and the third was initiated suo motu.

The complaint alleges that the ED officials tried to "forcibly enter" the residence of the TMC leader "without presenting any search warrant and in contravention of the law," according to a source cited by Indian Express.

The complaint lodged against the ED officials falls under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including section 441 (related to criminal trespass), section 379 (pertaining to the intent to commit theft), and section 354 (associated with outraging a woman's modesty).

Authorities stated that the remaining two FIRs were lodged under IPC sections 147, 148, 149, which pertain to rioting, and section 353, which relates to assault on public servants.

"This case is extremely delicate, and I'm not at liberty to discuss the FIRs," said Subhasish Pramanik, the officer in charge at Nyazat police station, during a phone conversation with The Indian Express. He added, "Currently, I am not in the police station, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me."

Attempts to reach J Thomas, the Superintendent of Police for the Bashirhat district, went unanswered on Saturday. It has been reported that while no arrests have been made regarding the attack on Friday, three individuals have been taken into custody for questioning.

In the aftermath of Friday's alleged assault, two Enforcement Directorate officers, Ankur Gupta and Somnath Dutta, who had been injured, were released from a hospital in Kolkata. The condition of the third officer, Rajkumar Ram, who had been admitted to the High Dependency Unit due to head injuries, is now stable.

On Friday, the ED announced that its officers had arrived at Sheikh's residence in Sandeshkhali in the morning, only to find the house locked and unresponsive to their calls. The ED claimed that Sheikh's mobile phone location data suggested he was inside the house at the time.

While the ED team was on standby, a substantial assembly, predominantly Sheikh's supporters, congregated and forcefully dismissed the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) staff that was with the search team.

The mass of people overwhelmed the officers, damaged their vehicles, and obstructed the roads. The ED claimed that three of their officers sustained injuries, and their personal and official possessions, including mobile phones, laptops, and wallets, were taken away.

The ED has issued a lookout notice on Saturday for Shahjahan Sheikh, a member of the TMC Zilla Parishad and party convenor, along with his four brothers. It is suggested by sources that the ED has informed both the Intelligence Bureau and the Border Security Force of a potential attempt by Sheikh and his family to covertly cross into neighbouring Bangladesh.