ED Moves Calcutta High Court Over Violent Assault on Raiding Team in West Bengal

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday against the violent mob attack on its raiding team that left three of its personnel injured at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas of West Bengal last week and the FIR lodged against the central agency by the state police over the raid.

The ED’s legal step coincided with two police teams’ visit to the central agency’s office at CGO Complex in Salt Lake of the city to question its officials. In its petition, the ED, seeking an urgent hearing, alleged dangerous assault and obstruction by absconding Trinamul Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh’s followers in it's probe into the ration scam.

The central agency also claimed that the police booked it's sleuths in an FIR for the raid which was however conducted with warrant. According to the ED, several attempts to get the FIR copy from the Nyajat police station at Basirhat went in vain since the attack on January 5.

The FIR was initiated following a complaint by Shahjahan’s aide who is also the caretaker of his house and accused the ED of trying to break into the building. During the day, DSP (Basirhat) Sananda Goswami and two other cops visited the ED office for questioning but left immediately.

Ms Goswami said that the complainant’s statement was not recorded as he was busy with work. Later another team led by DSP (Headquarters) of Bongaon Dipendra Tamang, also visited the ED office for the same but returned empty handed.