CBI has summoned nine persons of Sandeshkhali, including some close aides and acquaintances of the main accused Sheikh Shahjahan for questioning in relation to the attack on the ED officers case. They have been asked to appear at Nizam Palace, CBI office, Kolkata. On Sunday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and accused in the Sandeshkhali case, Shahjahan Sheikh, appeared before the Basirhat court. Sheikh Shahjahan was brought out of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office at Nizam Palace in Kolkata on Sunday.
Following a directive from the Calcutta High Court, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Kolkata Police transferred custody of Sheikh Shahjahan to the CBI. Reportedly evading authorities for nearly two months, the now-suspended TMC leader was apprehended by the West Bengal Police on February 29. He was subsequently presented before the Basirhat court, which granted a 10-day police remand.
In addition to the assault on an ED team during a raid on his residence in Sandeshkhali in connection with an alleged ration scam, Shahjahan faces accusations of land grabbing, extortion, and engaging in misconduct against women along with his associates. The women residing in Sandeshkhali, located in the North 24 Parganas district, expressed their outrage through violent protests, taking to the streets to condemn Shahjahan and his accomplices for serious offences and atrocities.Numerous women on the island alleged that Shahjahan and his associates were involved in “land-grabbing and sexual assault," often through coercion.