Calcutta HC Orders Joint CBI-Bengal Police SIT To Probe Into Attack On ED Officials

Justice Jay Sengupta directed that the probe will be monitored by the High Court and the SIT will file a progress report of the investigation on February 12, the next date of hearing in the case. 

New Delhi: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday ordered to form a joint special investigation team of CBI and West Bengal police to probe an attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at Sandeshkhali.

As per news agency PTI, Justice Jay Sengupta directed that the probe will be monitored by the High Court and the SIT will file a progress report of the investigation on February 12, the next date of hearing in the case. 

The agency's counsel had prayed for the transfer of the investigation to the CBI, claiming that the central agency does not have faith in a probe being done by the West Bengal police, the report stated.

The court further directed that one SP rank officer of CBI, the name of which agency was directed to give by Thursday, and Jaspreet Singh, SP of Islampur police district will jointly head the SIT.

Notably, CCTV cameras have reportedly been installed around the house of absconding TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, an accused in an alleged ration distribution scam, following an order of the Calcutta High Court. The cameras have been put in place at the gates and other areas of his house at Sandeshkhali, a few kilometres from the Bangladesh border, reported PTI.

This development came soon after the court on Tuesday asked the state to ensure that CCTV cameras are installed immediately around the house of Sheikh. A lookout notice has also been issued against him by the ED.

While talking to reporters, Sheikh's brother said he came to know about the installation of CCTV cameras when police “approached him for help” with a power connection to run the devices.

"I have also installed such cameras in my home for security reasons," his brother, who lives close by, said.

According to the PTI report, the ED had earlier said that the probe into the money trail related to the alleged ration distribution scam, which resulted in the arrest of West Bengal minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, led the central agency to Sheikh.

ED officials went to search the house of Shajahan Sheikh at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district in connection with their probe into the money trail in a ration distribution scam case in West Bengal, when they were attacked by a mob. Three ED officials injured in the assault needed hospitalisation, reported PTI.