The Enforcement Directorate (ED) was granted custody of Shajahan Sheikh for 13 days by a court in connection with a money laundering case involving alleged fraudulent activities in the guise of pisciculture business in Sandeshkhali. Sheikh, a suspended Trinamool Congress leader, was arrested by the ED on Saturday while he was in Basirhat jail, where he was detained regarding another case related to a mob assault on the agency’s officials during a search operation at his premises on January 5.
The PMLA Court judge, Suvendu Saha, rejected Sheikh’s bail plea and instead granted ED custody until April 13. The agency sought his custody to investigate the alleged embezzlement of funds obtained through land grabbing from villagers under the pretext of pisciculture business.
In January, ED officials were attacked by a mob of around 1,000 people during a search operation at Sheikh’s premises in Sarberia village, Sandeshkhali. The search was related to a ration distribution scam case, leading to the arrest of a former minister, Jyotipriya Mallick, by the agency. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the assault case under the directive of the Calcutta High Court, with Sheikh being accused of orchestrating the attack to obstruct the ED’s raid on his property.
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