CBI visits Shahjahan’s house with forensic team, adds attempt to murder charges against him

Kolkata: Adding attempt to murder charges against him, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a raid on Friday at the house of the main accused in the Sandeshkhali case, Sheikh Shahjahan, and also conducted 3D mapping of the residence and its immediate surroundings.

The CBI had also visited the residence on Thursday. It was learnt that CBI slapped attempt to murder charges under Section 307 against Shahjahan. Sources said, on Friday, the Central agency reached the house of the suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader of Sandeshkhali at Akunjipara along with two Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers who were assaulted and chased away by a violent mob on January 5. They were accompanied by a team from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory. CBI broke the seal of ED to gain entry into the house. The ED officers narrated how they were attacked on January 5 while trying to gain entry inside the house. A 3D mapping of the house was done by using a special camera which will later help the Central agency in their investigation.

The team reportedly also visited the Minakhan Police Station where they collected forensic samples from the cars that were vandalised by the mob. The CBI officers later went to a few other houses which belonged to the close aides of Shahjahan while also collecting Shahjahan’s call records to find out with whom he was in touch from January 5 till the time of his arrest. On Friday, it was learnt that when Shahjahan was being taken to ESI Hospital in Joka for a routine medical check-up, he reportedly said that the allegations against him were false and that a proper investigation would reveal the truth. Moreover, MLA of Sandeshkhali, Sukumar Mahato, on Friday, reportedly claimed that he had called Shahjahan on January 5 and had asked him to ensure no violence takes place. Mahato also claimed that Shahjahan had told him that he was not there

at the spot.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Friday allowed the BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari to address a public meeting in Sandeshkhali on March 10, a day when the Trinamool Congress will hold a rally at the Brigade. The court also directed that the speakers must not use any instigating words at the meeting.