HC imposes interim stay order on probe against ED

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday imposed an interim stay on the investigation against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and directed the police not to take any coercive action against officers of the central agency in connection with the case of Sandeshkhali incident.

On Thursday, during the hearing of a case at the Single Bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha, the ED counsel informed the court that on January 5, an ED officer had called the Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh before raiding his house in connection with the alleged ration distribution scam in the state. The counsel said that when Shajahan heard that the ED was waiting outside his house for a search operation, he allegedly disconnected the call while his other mobile phone remained busy until the mob attacked the central agency officials.

It was also informed that despite ED officials being assaulted, a case was registered against them at the Nazat Police Station. Justice Mantha expressed his annoyance over the registering of the FIR against ED without any preliminary inquiry around 10:30 am. The court had questioned the police about the FIR registered suo motu after a police officer went to the spot and then registered the case at 1:30 pm.

The ED also informed the court that they lodged a complaint based on which a case was needed to be initiated on charges of attempt to murder and other non-bailable allegations but the police instead registered a case on minor charges.

Justice Mantha ordered an interim stay on the probe against the ED officials till March 31. The court also directed the police to produce the case diaries of the two FIRs on the next date of hearing scheduled on January 22.

Meanwhile, in another case at the Single Bench of Justice Jay Sengupta, the police have been verbally directed not to take any coercive measures against the ED officers.