The Enforcement Directorate has arrested former Bongaon Municipality chairman Shankar Adhya in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam in West Bengal early on Saturday morning.
Earlier on Thursday night, ED officials came under attack in the North 24 Parganas district while they were on their way to raid the homes of Shankar Adhya and Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan in connection with the ration case.
In videos posted by news agencies, Adhya was purportedly seen being taken away by ED officials in a vehicle as a large crowd surrounded it. On Friday night, a team of the ED raided the residence of Adhya’s father-in-law, news agency ANI reported.
Sheikh Shahjahan is the fisheries and animal resources officer of North 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad as well as Block President of Sandeshkhali 1.
The ED officials were travelling in a car when the vehicle was pelted with stones, breaking the window panes of the four-wheeler. Three officials of the agency sustained injuries in the incident.
“Three officers have suffered grievous injuries as the mob has marched towards ED officials with an intention to cause death… other officers had to escape from the place of the incident without conducting search to save their lives as the mob became very violent,” the ED said in a statement.
The agency – which already arrested state food minister Jyotipriyo Mullickin October in connection with the case – said the mob comprising 800-1,000 people attacked ED officials and 27 accompanying paramilitary personnel with sticks, stones and bricks, while shouting slogans against the agency and the central government. ED vehicles were also badly damaged, the statement added. Sheikh is an associate of Mullick.
“We are taking legal opinion,” said a senior ED official, adding that the Union home ministry was informed of the incident.
The unprecedented attack prompted a wave of condemnation, with state governor CV Ananda Bose summoning chief secretary BP Gopalika, home secretary Nandini Chakraborty and director general of police Rajiv Kumarseeking a report on the matter.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said law and order was coming apart in the state on chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s watch. Addressing reporters in Delhi, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, “The ED officers, who were carrying out an investigation, came under attack by TMC goons and Rohingyas, who infiltrated Bengal. Jungle Raj is prevailing in West Bengal under the very nose of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.”
Union minister of state for home Nisith Pramanik termed the incident an attack on the Constitution and the nation’s federal structure. “I condemn what happened in Sandeshkhali. No issue could be more contemptuous than attacking a central agency going to a state. It’s not just an attack on the team of a central agency but on the entire Constitution,” he said.
Senior Congress leader and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that he would not be surprised if any official is “murdered” in the state in the future.
The TMC dismissed the allegations, saying that the officials of the central agency incited locals leading to the situation.
