A team of ED officials was attacked by a mob during a raid at Sheikh’s house in connection with the alleged ration distribution scam.
The single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta on Tuesday said that it will pass the order on ED’s plea seeking a CBI probe on Wednesday and ordered police to install CCTV cameras in front of Sheikh’s house.
“Let the present investigating agency forthwith install CCTV cameras around the places belonging to the prime accused that were supposed to be searched by the ED on the fateful day,” the court ordered.
At present, North 24 Parganas police have registered three FIRs into the January 5 incident. In the FIR, registered on a complaint filed by the ED, Sheikh’s supporters – though not named — have been accused of attacking the agency officials and accompanying Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel. The ED, in its complaint, said that three of its officers were injured and had to be hospitalised, while their belongings like mobile phones, laptops, and wallets were stolen. Till date, police have arrested four persons in connection with the attack.
Sheikh, against whom the ED has issued a look-out notice, has been absconding since the day of the attack on ED officials.
In the second FIR, based on a complaint lodged by Didar Baksh Molla, an aide of TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, ED officials have been booked for theft, beating people, and outraging the modesty of women when they went to carry out searches at Sheikh’s residence.
The ED has filed another petition in the High Court seeking quashing of the FIR against the agency’s officials. The High Court stayed proceedings in the FIR and gave protection to the ED officials till March 31.
The third FIR was filed by the police suo motu.
The ED had earlier complained that the FIR against TMC leader’s supporters was registered under weak charges that are mostly bailable and non-scheduled offences, and moved the High Court seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Lawyer, who said he represents Shahjahan Sheikh, backtracks on being party in the case
A day after lawyer Biswarup Mukherjee approached the Bench of Justice Jay Sengupta, saying he represented TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and that his client wanted to be a party in the ED’s case, he told the court on Tuesday that his client no longer wanted to be a party in the case. On Monday, Justice Sengupta had directed that in the event the counsel was able to procure a vakalatnama, he would be at liberty to file an application for making his client a party in the case.