Sandeshkhali Strongman Sheikh Shahjahan Resists Questioning, CID Awaits Cooperation

According to a senior police official, Sheikh Shahjahan has proven to be a difficult person to deal with. During questioning, the Sandeshkhali strongman allegedly avoided questions or maintained that he was not part of the assault on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) team.

A court in Basirhat, North 24-Parganas, put Shahjahan in police detention for ten days after his arrest on Thursday. On Thursday afternoon, the former leader of the Trinamul Congress was taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters, which is located at Bhabani Bhavan in Alipore.

After a restless night and post-breakfast, the guy who was accused of running a terror campaign in Sandeshkhali, the karmadhyaksha of the North 24-Parganas zilla parishad, remained mostly defiant.

According to a senior CID officer, Shahjahan "isn't replying to most of the questions and has stuck to his claim that he wasn't responsible for the January 5 attack on ED officials." "We're still got time, and hopefully he'll snap soon."

Even when security around the building where Shahjahan was staying heightened, most top CID officials stayed silent about the events.

Following the reported assault on the ED team outside his Sarberia home in Sandeshkhali on January 5, Shahjahan was taken into custody on charges of attempted murder, rioting, and robbery.

The incident, which also harmed CRPF soldiers and accompanying media, left three ED officials injured.

Gaurav Bharill, the deputy director of the ED who filed the case against Shahjahan, has been called by the CID. On March 3, Bharill was requested to appear before the CID.

"We would like to document his remarks and inquire as to whether the ED team that was at Shahjahan's residence attempted to contact him upon discovering the door locked, and whether the officer has any grounds to suspect that the attack was planned," the CID detective said.

According to the ED, a preliminary investigation found that Shahjahan had made over 20 calls on his two cell phones before to the central agency team's search and seizure operation on January 5.

"The calls were allegedly made to Shahjahan's supporters, and the phones were busy for a few minutes around the time the ED officials knocked on his door early in the morning," an ED official said.

The CID is also looking into the involvement of Sirajuddin, also referred to as Siraj doctor in Sandeshkhali. The precise position of the man when the ED officers were assaulted, as well as the person he phoned right away after the event, are both of interest to the detectives.

The ISF chief held

Jubi Saha, the head of the Indian Secular Front (ISF), was detained by police on Friday for allegedly instigating disturbance in Sandeshkhali. Saha was picked up from the New Town home of her friend Natasha Khan.

According to a senior police official, "Jubi has been arrested on charges of spreading violence and fueling false accusations in the Sandeshkhali area."