Grocery shop owner at Sandeshkhali picked up by CBI

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) picked up a grocery shop owner on Sunday in connection with the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on their way to conduct a raid at Sheikh Shahjahan’s residence in Sandeshkhali on January 5.

The accused Saifuddin Molla, who is a local grocery shop owner at Sandeshkhali, was picked up by the Central investigative agency after interrogation. According to a news agency, Molla is known to be a close aide of the main accused in the Sandeshkhali

incident Shahjahan.

It was also learnt that Molla allegedly played a key role in assembling the crowd which attacked the ED officials on January 5. A team of CBI officials went to a market in Sarberia at Sandeshkhali which is named after Shahjahan. A few kilometres away from the market, they raided the grocery store owned by Molla, who was picked up after questioning there. While one team left with Molla to Kolkata, another team of the CBI remained at the market talking to shopkeepers. They were accompanied by few personnel of the Central force team which had accompanied ED on January 5. A team of ED officials along with Central Forces had visited Shahjahan’s house on January 5 in connection with the alleged ration distribution scam.

Three out of five ED officials were injured and had to be hospitalised. Further, it was alleged that laptops, mobiles and cash were snatched from ED officials during the attack. In an official statement by ED, it was mentioned that a mob of 800-1000 people had marched towards the ED officials with weapons in their hands such as lathis, stones and bricks amongst others. They gheraoed the ED officials and CRPF personnel. Reportedly, CBI have arrested 11 people in the case, which was handed over to them by the Division Bench of Calcutta High Court after Shahjahan’s arrest by

state police.