Sandeshkhali case: ED attaches assets worth ₹12.78 crore as CBI reaches Kolkata to take Shajahan Sheikh into custody

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday, March 5 attached movable and immovable assets worth ₹12.78 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the ongoing investigations against Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Shahjahan Seikh and others.

The ED has attached proceeds of crime in the form of immovable and movable properties, including 14 immovable properties like apartments, agriculture land, land for fishery, land and building etc in Gram Serberia, Sandeshkhali and Kolkata. Two bank accounts have also been attached.

The ED initiated the investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police against Shajahan Seikh and others, which include heinous offences in the nature of giving threats of injury, murder, attempt to murder, extortion, grabbing land of the general public etc.

The TMC-ruled West Bengal government had moved the Supreme Court of India seeking an urgent hearing against the Calcutta High Court decision to hand over TMC strongman and Sandeshkhali accused Shajahan Sheikh to Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI). He was arrested by the West Bengal Police on February 29, as many as 55 days after he went missing. 

A team from the CBI, the premier central probe agency on Tuesday arrived at the CID headquarters in Kolkata to take jailed suspended ruling party strongman Sheikh Shahjahan into its custody.

Shajahan Sheikh, who was absconding after a team from the ED came under attack while raiding his Sandeshkhali residence in connection with the alleged ration scam case, was placed in the custody of the state police after his arrest.

As he continued to remain in the wind even after hundreds of women in Sandeshkhali came out against the TMC strongman, accusing him of perpetrating atrocities on them along with his henchmen, the high court sanctioned his arrest by either the state police, ED or CBI.

However, close to two months after reportedly being on the run, Shahjahan Sheikh was nabbed by the state police and taken into custody.

A three-member CBI team, flanked by CRPF escorts, arrived at the CID headquarters, Bhabani Bhaban, on Tuesday.

Dealing a blow to the Mamata Banerjee-led government earlier, the Calcutta High Court transferred the Sandehskhali case to the CBI.

The high court also directed the West Bengal Police to hand over Shahjahan Sheikh and all documents related to the ongoing probe against him to the CBI by 4.30 pm on Tuesday.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi filed a plea in the Supreme Court, challenging the high court order to hand over the case against the suspended TMC strongman to the CBI.

The Supreme Court asked the senior advocate to mention the plea before the registrar general of the apex court.

An island in Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, Sandeshkhali came to hog national headlines after women, with their faces covered, came out on the streets accusing Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides of excesses and land-grab.