2 Arrested In Bengal Over Mob Attack On Probe Agency Team

Kolkata:

Two individuals, Mehboob Mollah and Sukamal Sardar, were arrested today in connection with the assault on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that took place on January 5 in West Bangal’s North 24 Parganas district.

Both Mollah and Sardar are believed to be involved in the violent attack that targeted the probe agency team during a raid on the residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shajahan Sheikh.

Residents of Fokir Tokia under Nazat Police station in North 24 Parganas, Mollah and Sardar were identified as part of the unruly mob that attacked the ED officers. 

The attackers not only inflicted “grievous” injuries on three ED officers but also seized personal belongings, including mobile phones and wallets, the probe agency claimed. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel accompanying the ED team were also assaulted by the mob, they added.

The incident triggered a political firestorm in West Bengal, with Governor CV Ananda Bose condemning the attack and terming the Trinamool-ruled state as a “banana republic.” 

The ED officers were conducting the raid as part of an investigation into a ration distribution scam, linked to TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, a close aide of state minister Jyotipriyo Mallick, who was arrested last year in connection with the same scam.

The opposition BJP has termed the attack as a “direct assault on the federal structure,” and called for the imposition of President’s Rule in West Bengal, alleging a threat to national security due to the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool government’s alleged misrule. 

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, in a press conference in Delhi, demanded Chief Minister Banerjee’s resignation over the incident. In response, the TMC accused the ED officials of inciting locals, further escalating the political tension.

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim protection to the ED officials who were attacked by the mob.