Attack on ED staff: Absconding mastermind again approaches court seeking bail

Kolkata, Jan 31 Sheikh Shahjahan, the absconding Trinamool Congress leader and the accused mastermind behind the attack on ED and CAPF personnel on January 5, has approached yet another court seeking anticipatory bail.

Shahjahan’s counsel moved the anticipatory bail application at a district court in Barasat in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday.

The matter will come up for hearing on February 26.

This is the second time that Shahjahan has approached the court seeking anticipatory bail from underground within the past 24 hours. On Tuesday, a special PMLA court had rejected a plea seeking “no-coercive action” by ED against him.

The matter will come up for hearing at the special court on February 3, when the ED will present the details of the charges against Shahjahan.

Meanwhile, an absconding leader of the ruling party moving the court frequently has raised questions as to how Shahjahan is operating from underground while the state police are yet to track him even after 26 days since the attack took place.

Political observers feel that it will also strengthen ED’s logic for an independent probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to hunt Shahjahan instead of the joint special investigation team (SIT) of the CBI and the state police created for the purpose as per the direction of a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court.

The ED has already issued a lookout notice against Shahjahan in anticipation of his escape to neighbouring Bangladesh, as its international borders with India are very close to the accused's residence.

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