Kolkata: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers attacked, their wallets stolen, laptop snatched — the scenes that unfolded in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district Saturday has put the spotlight back on the tussle between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and central agencies ahead of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled later this year.
This past weekend, three ED officers sustained injuries and were hospitalised while conducting raids in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam at TMC convenor and strongman Shahjahan Sheikh’s residence in Sandeshkhali.
Around 48 hours after the incident, party chairperson Mamata Banerjee, without naming anyone, Monday spoke about the incident while attending a government programme in Kolkata. “A negative campaign is going on regarding law and order in West Bengal. To defame me they are defaming Bangla, that’s not right. Serampore Police Station was judged the best by MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) and Kolkata is the safest city,” she said.
Meanwhile, TMC leaders continue to respond to the charges against the party.
“An incident took place, but we don’t know what Shahjahan Sheikh has to say. He could be the villain, or he might not. We do not know what ED’s allegations are against him. Neither do we know what Sheikh’s response to the ED allegations is. We only know that the ED reached Sheikh’s residence early in the morning and tried breaking the lock in his house. This angered the villagers and then an unfortunate incident took place. We don’t support violence,” said TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, speaking to ThePrint.
“Till the time we don’t know Shahjahan Sheikh’s side of the story, we cannot comment…(we can’t) frame a one-sided story. We cannot call a person bad without giving him a chance to speak…The party is keeping a close watch on the entire matter,” he added.
The ED in a press release Monday stated that it had filed a complaint before Nazat Police Station for attempt to murder, assaulting public servants on duty, rioting and other scheduled offences, but the West Bengal Police had filed an FIR under “mostly bailable and non-scheduled offences”. It added that the copy of the FIR has not been shared with the ED.
Trinamool’s North 24 Parganas District President and Minister Partha Bhowmick while speaking to ThePrint said, “ED has not clarified why they raided Shahjahan Sheikh’s house, we have not got any statement from ED. Our party, our leaders have always cooperated with the central agencies and appeared before them whenever summoned.”
In an unverified audio message, which surfaced over the weekend after the incident, Shahjahan purportedly says, “They think they would be able to make it difficult for TMC by framing me. That’s not going to happen. I am being framed. Don’t fear ED and CBI. All Trinamool Congress cadres must continue their work for the party. We must remember how Mamata Banerjee looked after us and our families.” The clip has now gone viral. ThePrint has not independently verified the clip.
Speaking to ThePrint on condition of anonymity, a TMC leader said the ED going after Sheikh is the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) way of getting him arrested before the elections to make inroads in Sandeshkhali, which remains out of bounds for non-TMC parties.
He added that the district leadership is in touch with Sheikh and is behind him. “Till Sheikh is there in Sandeshkhali, TMC doesn’t need to worry about its electoral dividends for Basirhat and Bangaon Lok Sabha seats. We are in touch with him.”
Sandeshkhali falls under Basirhat Lok Sabha Seat and Bangaon is next door where he is also believed to be influential.
The BJP, meanwhile, has moved Calcutta High Court seeking a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the incident. The matter will come up for hearing Thursday before the Chief Justice bench.
Speaking to the media Monday outside the Calcutta HC, Leader of the Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari said, “We all know how Shahjahan Sheikh has Bangladesh links, he has smuggled ration there. If he runs away there, the central government will hunt him down.”
Sheikh’s brother, Sheikh Alamgir told ThePrint he doesn’t know about his brother’s whereabouts. “I have not been able to contact him. On the day of the incident, he had left his phone in the house and gone out. We were not at home. I was on an outing with my family as our children had finished their exams.”
Sukumar Mahata, TMC’s Sandeshkhali MLA, however, told ThePrint that Shahjahan’s lawyers are in touch with the ED and have assured cooperation with the central agency. “The incident that occurred, the villagers got concerned and retaliated. If they come back here, there will be no repeat, we guarantee that.”
Who is Shahjahan Sheikh
In the July 2023 Panchayat Polls, the TMC had won both Sandeshkhali I and Sandeshkhali II — both falling under Basirhat subdivision of North 24 Parganas district — uncontested and Sheikh was said to be behind this victory. His clout had reportedly also helped MP Nusrat Jahan secure the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
The TMC strongman, now 53, used to do odd jobs in the 1990s, according to media reports, working as a trekker driver, a vegetable vendor and even working at a brick kiln.
Sheikh entered politics in 2006, following in the footsteps of his uncle Moslem Sheikh, a CPI(M) strongman and a former panchayat Pradhan. Sheikh would go on to become a zilla parishad member, according to reports.
In 2013, he switched camps and joined the ruling-TMC. He is known for his proximity to Minister Jyotipriya Mullick, who was arrested by ED in October in an alleged ration scam.
According to a Times of India report, Sheikh, say the police, has several cases against him, including for murder, but the TMC leader has dodged prosecution each time.
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