Expelled TMC leader and accused in the Sandeshkhali case Sheikh Shahjahan was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the directions of Calcutta High Court to the Bengal government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the High Court issued a contempt notice to the West Bengal CID and has asked for reply within two weeks after it failed to hand over Shahjahan to the central probing agency.
The High Court said that the custody of the accused Sheikh Shahjahan should be handed over to CBI by 4.30 pm on Wednesday. The High Court slammed the West Bengal Police for “totally biased” conduct and said every attempt is being made to delay the probe to “protect” the accused.
ED officials were attacked and injured by a mob when they went to search the premises of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali on January 5 in connection with a ration scam probe.
He was arrested by the West Bengal police on February 29 in connection with the attack on ED officials, following which the state government handed over the case to the state CID.
The CBI has taken over the investigation into the attack on Enforcement Directorate officers by a mob in Sandeskhali on January 5, registering an FIR on Tuesday hours after the Calcutta High Court directed the state police to hand over the case to the central agency, officials said.
The probing agency promptly acted on the orders of the High Court which had directed on Tuesday that the central probe agency be handed over the case and the custody of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh by 4.30 PM.
A CBI team reached the CID office in Kolkata with paramilitary forces to take custody of Sheikh, who was arrested by the state police on February 29 in connection with the attack, but he was not handed over to the agency by the West Bengal police.
