BJP Calls for Arrest of Fugitive TMC Leader Sheikh Shahjahan, Alleged Mastermind in ED Officials’ Attack.
WEST BENGAL: The Calcutta High Court, led by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, has granted permission for the filing of a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the recent attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Sandeshkhali. The PIL, sought by advocate Sushmita Saha Datta, calls for an investigation into the incident, which allegedly involved supporters of local Trinamul Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh.
The incident in question occurred on January 5, when an angry mob of approximately 200 men and women attacked ED officers and journalists who were accompanying the central agency during a raid. The mob reportedly tried to force their way into the house of the Trinamul leader. This violent confrontation led to several individuals, including ED officers and journalists, being beaten with rods, punched, kicked, and their vehicles damaged, with windscreens smashed.
The PIL is expected to be heard by the division bench on Thursday. It specifically requests a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the incident and demands “proper action” against the state police for allegedly failing to provide adequate safety and security to the ED team during the raid.
The state police have stated that the central agency did not alert them before conducting the raid, which they claim violated the established “protocol.” As a result of the attack, three ED officers were hospitalized, with two being discharged the next day.
This incident has raised significant concerns about the safety of central agency officials during operations and the need for cooperation between state and central law enforcement agencies. The PIL filed in the Calcutta High Court seeks to address these concerns by calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack and the actions of the state police.
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