Kolkata: A team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials was forced to return abandoning its raids after being attacked by a section of West Bengal ruling TMC activists, allegedly owing allegiance to Shahjahan Sheikh, a block level leader of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas on Friday, official sources said.
The ED, probing the alleged statutory ration distribution scam following a Calcutta High Court order, went early on Friday to raid the house of Shahjahan Sheikh at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas.
The ED officials, after finding the collapsible gates of the TMC leader’s house locked from inside, tried to break it open.
Seeing the ED officials, who were escorted by the Central armed forces, were trying to break open the locks, the TMC activists immediately attacked the central investigation officials, who finally abandoned the raid for their safety.
The ED officials said they were safe and abandoned the raid on fear of being attacked.
The ED has been raiding the premises of two block-level leaders and their relatives since today morning, they said.
The ED had gone to Sandeshkhali in search of two premises of two block-level leaders Shahjahan Sheikh and Shankar Adhya, and their relatives.
The ED alleged their vehicles were damaged in the attacks.
The TMC activists did not spare the media persons, who went there to cover the raids.
Sources said cameras and mobile phones of the media persons were damaged in the attack.
Shahjahan is attached with the district fishery and animal husbandry executive, said to be a close associate of arrested forest minister Jyotirmoy Mallick, a former food minister.
Leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari strongly condemned the attacks on the ED officials.
“Horrific. The Law & Order Situation in West Bengal is in a shambles. ED Officials & CRPF Jawans brutally attacked in Sandeshkhali; North 24 Parganas district,while conducting raid at TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan’s house.
I doubt that Rohingyas are present amongst the Anti National attackers.,” Adhikari said on his X post.
” I urge Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take cognizance of this grave situation and take appropriate action to crush this anarchy.”
He also demanded a NIA probe into the attacks on the ED officials.
