Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday began a fresh raid on the properties of arrested suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas.
This was the first raid after the officials of the investigation agency were allegedly attacked by the followers of Sahajahan on January 5, and fled for their lives.
The federal agency aided by the armed Central forces was searching properties, like fish farming, locally called “bhery” after the prime accused and his associates forcefully acquired lands belonging to the poor tribal people and started the lucrative fishing business there, sources said.
The local people, who have been thrown out from their properties, alleged that the accused persons after grabbing their cultivated land and began prawn and other fish farming.
The search operation is being held at a wholesale fish market near Dhamakhali and the house of Nazrul Mollah, one of the partners of the market.
The assets of a fish exporter and two other builders were also under the scanner of the ED.
The search operations were underway about the alleged ration (Public Distribution System) following a Calcutta High Court directive.
State Forest Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, was arrested by the ED for his alleged role in the scam when he was the state Food Minister.
The ED on January 5 had raided the house of Sahjahan at his Akunghi para but had to flee for their lives after TMC leader’s followers attacked the government officials in which two senior officials were injured and one of them got a head injury.
Sahjahan was arrested by the West Bengal police on February 29 from the Sandeshkhali area and was handed over to the CBI on March 6following a High court order.
The court also handed over the probe to the CBI in the assault case of CBI and the anti-crime agency in which three associates of the prime accused. were arrested.
