I am a victim of political conspiracy, no truth in charges against me: Sheikh Shahjahan

The arrested Sandeshkhali strongman was replying to journalists on his way to the ESI Hospital in Joka where he was taken from the ED's custody for mandatory health check-ups during the day

Sheikh Shahjahan: File picture

Kinsuk Basu, TT, Calcutta, 04.04.24 : Former Trinamul leader Sheikh Shahjahan on Wednesday said he was a victim of political conspiracy and insisted there was no truth in the charges being levelled against him.

The arrested Sandeshkhali strongman was replying to journalists on his way to the ESI Hospital in Joka where he was taken from the ED's custody for mandatory health check-ups during the day.

"I am a victim of political conspiracy," Shahjahan said, somewhat screaming, while boarding the car to visit the hospital for his health checkup.

Asked about who was conspiring against him, he did not specify anyone but said: "You can understand who is behind it."

Since his re-arrest after the CBI took him in custody, Shahjahan is presently in ED's custody till April 13. On his way out of the hospital, journalists asked Shahjahan if he knew any Shariful Mollah of Jeliakhali adjoining Sandeshkhali and whether he had transferred any amount to Shariful's bank account.

Shariful is believed to be close to Shahjahan and his now-arrested aide Shib Prasad Hazra in Sandeshkhali and faces drug trafficking allegations with the former Trinamul leader, ED officials said.

"Shob mithhey (All false)," Shahjahan said, repeating it to drive home his point.

After being on the run for 57 days, Shahjahan was arrested by the state police on February 29. Subsequently, the CBI took him in custody on the order of Calcutta High Court on March 6. On Saturday, after questioning Shahjahan in judicial custody, the ED re-arrested him while investigating two cases — the ration distribution scam and unaccounted money in fish export and import along with land-grab.

The central investigating agency recently told the court, where Shahjahan was produced and remanded in ED custody till April 13, that he had allegedly diverted funds worth Rs 31 crore through his prawn and shrimp export business registered in the name of Sheikh Sabina, his daughter. ED officials also alleged that a part of this “unaccounted money” was the ill-gotten proceeds of the multi-crore ration distribution case.

"There are reasons to believe that the proceeds of crime, parked in different accounts, had been used for shrimp export," said a senior ED official. "We are trying to reach some of the accounts during the probe into the alleged money trail."