Sandeshkhali Case: Shajahan Sheikh Sent To Judicial Remand Till April 9

New Delhi: A court in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Thursday ordered the remand of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh in connection with a case related to the mob attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Sandeshkhali in January.

Sheikh, who has been in custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since March 6, saw the investigation of the case transferred from the state police to the central agency by the Calcutta High Court, reported PTI.

During the court proceedings before the First Additional Judicial Magistrate in Basirhat, Sheikh, along with two others, was remanded to judicial custody until April 9.

The incident occurred on January 5 when ED officials were assaulted by a mob during a raid on Sheikh’s premises in Sandeshkhali as part of the agency’s probe into an alleged ration distribution scam. The raid resulted in the arrest of a former state minister.

Following his arrest, the TMC also removed Sheikh from all party positions, as per the PTI report.

Sheikh, identified as a key suspect in cases involving sexual assault and land encroachment in Sandeshkhali, had evaded arrest for 55 days before being apprehended by state authorities on February 29.

The rise of Sheikh started towards the fag end of the erstwhile Left Front rule in Bengal. After spending a few years as a helper in passenger vehicle services from Sandeshkhali to Sarberia, he got into the fish business, the PTI report added.

“One of his maternal uncles was into pisciculture and Shajahan started helping him. After a few years and rapid development in business, they became No. 1 in the trade in Sandeshkhali area,” a retired police officer, who was posted in the North 24 Parganas district during that time, told PTI.

On his family background, the ex-police officer hinted at Sheikh’s roots in Bangladesh, from where he allegedly crossed the borders to come to West Bengal during the late 90s.