CBI Team Reaches Bengal Police HQ For Shahjahan Sheikh's Custody As Court Deadline Ends

As the Calcutta High Court’s deadline to hand over TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ended at 4 pm on Wednesday, the teams of the central agency reached the state Police headquarters in Kolkata.

Around 4.15 pm, CBI teams arrived at the state headquarters to take the Sandeshkhali case into custody. Earlier, contempt notices were also issued to the state government, compelling urgent action. The court had instructed the government to submit an affidavit within two weeks, explaining why they should not face contempt charges. On Wednesday evening, Sheikh was brought back to Bhabani Bhaban Police Headquarters after undergoing a medical examination at SSKM Hospital, as part of the handing-over procedure.

Earlier today, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) approached the Calcutta High Court, saying West Bengal Police is not cooperating with the federal agency in the case involving the TMC leader. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar told news agency ANI, “Despite the Supreme Court’s stay order, the CID did not hand over Sheikh Shahjahan to the CBI. Why is CM Mamata Banerjee so desperate to protect a criminal?” He alleged that this was a clear case of “contempt of court.”

The ED alleged non-cooperation from the Bengal Police and urged the court to hold them in contempt. A division bench comprising justices Harish Tandon and Hiranmay Bhattacharyya granted leave to the ED to file a contempt petition against the West Bengal government. The high court had on Tuesday directed the transfer of investigation to the CBI into a mob attack on ED officials when they went to search the premises of Sheikh in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5 in connection with a ration scam probe.

The West Bengal government also approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s order, saying the transfer of investigation in the Sandeshkhali case to the CBI in a “cursory manner” violates the law laid down by the apex court. However, the apex court denied any relief to the state government. The government also said that the order cast “unsubstantiated aspersions” on the state’s investigating agency by directing the transfer of the probe to the CBI.

After the High Court’s order, sleuths of the CBI waited for over two hours at the CID headquarters in Bhavani Bhawan for Sheikh’s custody, but returned empty-handed, after the state agency said the West Bengal government had moved the Supreme Court on the matter on Tuesday evening. On March 5, three FIRs were also registered by the CBI against Shahjahan Sheikh.