The high court bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya on Tuesday set aside an earlier order of the court that asked for SIT to be constituted with state police officers.
The CBI submitted in the high court that Shahjahan Sheikh was the mastermind behind the attack on ED officers in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali. The central agency contended that Shahjahan's custody needs to be handed over to the CBI, as after 15 days of him remaining in state police custody, no other agency would be able to seek his custody.
Several women in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district had accused Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh and his aides of forcefull land-grab and sexually assaulting them under coercion.
Shajahan went absconding after a mob, allegedly affiliated to him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a ration scam on January 5.
He was arrested last week by the West Bengal Police in connection with Sandeshkhali violence.