Court extends Shajahan Sheikh's CBI custody by 4 days in ED official attack case

 The court directed that Sheikh be produced before it again on March 14

PTI, March 10, 2024 : A court in West Bengal's Basirhat on Sunday extended the CBI custody of Shajahan Sheikh, a key accused in a mob attack on ED officials at Sandeshkhali, by another four days on a prayer by the central agency.

The Central Bureau of Investigation got custody of Sheikh on March 6 along with a transfer of investigation on an order of the Calcutta High Court.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were attacked when they went to raid the now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader's premises at Sandeshkhali. The judge of the Basirhat court in North 24 Parganas district granted an extension of Sheikh's custody to CBI by four days on a prayer by the central agency.

The court directed that Sheikh be produced before it again on March 14. Sheikh was produced before the Basirhat court, around 70 km away from Kolkata where he is in CBI custody, under tight security.

The ED officials were attacked by a around 1000-strong mob when they went to search the premises of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali on January 5 in connection with the agency's investigation into an alleged ration distribution scam case, in which a former minister of the state has been arrested.

Sheikh was arrested by the state police on February 29 a day after the high court ordered that the CBI, ED or the West Bengal police could arrest him.