Special Team With Central, Bengal Cops To Probe Attack On Raiding Officers

A special investigation team (SIT) comprising both central and state cops will be set up to probe the mob attack on Enforcement Directorate officials in West Bengal earlier this month, ordered the Calcutta High Court today. Justice Jay Sengupta ordered the SIT to file a progress report on February 12, when the court hears the case again. The court will monitor the probe, he added.

The SIT will comprise officers of the CBI and the state police. It will be jointly headed by an SP-rank CBI officer and Jaspreet Singh, SP of Islampur police district, the court ordered.

Nearly a thousand Trinamool supporters had attacked the officials on January 5 during a raid on party leader Shajahan Sheikh in an alleged ration scam in Sandeshkhali, the ED had said, alleging there was an "intention to cause death".

The agency said three of its officials were severely injured in the attack, and that many were robbed of their belongings, including mobile phones, wallets and laptops.

The agency's officials were also accused of theft, outraging modesty and beating women and children in Sheikh's residence by a caretaker. Two other FIRs were also filed that day at the Nazat police station - one each by the police and the ED.

The ED had then moved the Calcutta High Court, requesting that 'false' cases filed against its officials at Nazat be dismissed.

While the Trinamool called the incident "a BJP conspiracy" and claimed "unruly elements attached with the central agencies provoked the locals", the BJP dubbed the continuance of the Trinamool government in the state "a threat to national security."