Friction Escalates: ED Appeals to High Court as Bengal Police Summon Agency Officials after Sandeshkhali Raid

The Enforcement Directorate filed a petition with the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, claiming that the state police had filed criminal charges against the central agency's officers who were a part of the team that raided Trinamul Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh's Sandeshkhali home last Friday and were attacked.

The central agency requested the court's intervention, claiming that copies of the FIRs against the ED personnel had not been supplied by the state police.

The ED informed the judge that they had learned via the media that an official complaint had been made against the agency's agents who had entered Shahjahan's home to conduct a raid.

"The alleged FIR against the ED officials has not been provided to us in copy form. Nevertheless, an ED official said, "The policemen are getting summonses to come before the police to be questioned in relation to the matter.

The official went on to say that the FIR was not located at the Basirhat court or on the website where FIRs are posted, based on the central agency's check.

On Wednesday, the ED attorney petitioned Justice Jay Sengupta on the agency's behalf, requesting the court's involvement. On Thursday, the case is probably going to be heard in the same court.

According to sources inside the central agency, they have been sent "multiple" summonses by the Bengal police requesting the appearance of top personnel for questioning over the Sandeshkhali case.

"Today, a top department official was called in on extremely short notice. An ED officer said that a group of Bengali police officers paid him a visit at his office at the Salt Lake CGO Complex on Wednesday morning, even before he could disclose his availability schedule.

To record his testimony, a deputy superintendent of police officer from the Basirhat police directorate went to the deputy director's office of the ED official. The sources said that the remarks was not recordable.

During a visit to the ED office on Wednesday, Sananda Goswami, the deputy superintendent of police for the Basirhat police directorate, stated: "Since January 6, we have been seeking details of the officers who went to raid the house of Shahjahan Sheikh." Unfortunately, however, the central agency has not yet provided us with any information.

In response to claims that copies of the FIRs filed against the ED had not been shared by the state police, a senior Bengali police official said that sharing copies of the FIRs with anybody other than the complainant was not required.

The officer went on to say that the central agency has already been informed of the ED's filed complaint.

Regarding the January 5 incident in Sandeshkhali, the police has opened three charges.

Based on a complaint made by Shahjahan's family, the first case was filed against the ED agents for suspected criminal intimidation, damage, and home trespassing.

The third case was initiated in response to the ED's complaint against Shahjahan and his friends. The second case was filed suo motu by the police against a "unknown mob" for attacking government officials and included additional allegations.

According to the police, the third instance, in which ED was the complainant, had already had its FIR copy shared.