Court Asks Bengal Cops To Produce Case Diary In Probe Team Attack FIR

The Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal police on Monday to produce the case diary in the FIR filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a mob attack on its officials when they went to search the premises of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh at Sandeshkhali on January 5.

A lawyer, claiming to represent Mr Shajahan, prayed for permission to be added as a party in the matter.

Justice Jay Sengupta directed that the case diary be produced on Tuesday when the matter will be taken up for hearing again.

The Enforcement Directorate raided Mr Sheikh's house on January 5 in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam in West Bengal.

Justice Sengupta noted that a counsel approached the court claiming to represent the accused Sajahan Sheikh, but was yet to have the necessary vakalatnama, a written document which authorises a lawyer to represent a person in a legal proceeding.

"He prayed that his client ought to have an audience here. But, he is not having the vakalatnama at present," the court said.

Justice Sengupta directed that in the event the counsel is able to procure a vakalatnama, he will be at liberty to file an application for addition of party for his client.

The Enforcement Directorate has issued a look out circular against Shajahan Sheikh.

Enforcement Directorate's counsel submitted before the court that the agency found links to Shankar Addhya, who has been arrested by the agency, and Mr Shajahan during its investigation into the alleged ration distribution scam.

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested state's Forest Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, who held the Food and Supplies portfolio from 2011 to 2021, and is at present in judicial remand in the case.

The state's counsel submitted that four people have been arrested in connection with the attack on the Enforcement Directorate officials.

Justice Sengupta asked how only four people were arrested when it has been alleged that hundreds were involved in the attack on the Enforcement Directorate officials.

The Enforcement Directorate's counsel also submitted that despite a murderous attack on the officials, milder sections of IPC were given in the FIR filed by the officials of Najat police station, within the area of which Ms Shajahan's house is located, on the complaint by the agency.

The Enforcement Directorate  has stated that three of its officers were injured and their belongings were snatched in an attack on them at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5.

It was stated that vehicles of Enforcement Directorate officials and the CRPF personnel were also damaged by the mob.

Another single bench of the high court had on January 11 ordered an interim stay on proceedings in an FIR against Enforcement Directorate officials who went to search the premises of Mr Shajahan.

The Enforcement Directorate had moved the court praying for quashing of the FIR lodged at the Nazat police station in North 24 Parganas district against its officials, claiming that false allegations were foisted against them.

In the FIR, one Didar Baksh Molla, stated to be a caretaker of Sheikh's residence, accused the Enforcement Directorate officials of theft, outraging modesty and beating women and children when they went to raid Shajahan's house on January 5.

Three FIRs were registered on that day in connection with the incident.

The first FIR was lodged by Didar Baksh Molla, at 10.30 am, a second FIR was filed suo motu by the Nazat police on the incident on the basis of a general diary by a sub-inspector of the police station at 1.30 pm and the third was by the ED at around 8.10 pm.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)