Sandeshkhali Row: Expelled TMC leader and accused in the Sandeshkhali case Sheikh Shahjahan was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the directions of Calcutta High Court to the Bengal government on Wednesday.
In a fresh directive on Wednesday, the High Court directed the state government to "immediately implement" its Tuesday's judgement to transfer a case on the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at Sandeshkhali to the CBI and hand over custody of the main accused Sheikh to the central agency.
A team of CBI officials reached CID headquarters Bhawani Bhawan before 4 PM. But the handover from the state agency took place at around 6:48 PM, despite the Calcutta High Court setting a deadline of 4.15 PM.
"Shajahan Sheikh was handed over to CBI," a CID official said. The CID took him to a state-run hospital for a medical check-up before handing him over to the CBI.
He was arrested in a case related to a mob attack on ED officials at Sandeshkhali on January 5 when the central agency had gone to search his premises in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam.
Earlier today, the High Court issued a contempt notice to the West Bengal CID and has asked for reply within two weeks after it failed to hand over Shahjahan to the central probing agency.
The court slammed the West Bengal Police for "totally biased" conduct and said every attempt is being made to delay the probe to "protect" the accused.
Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested on February 29
Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested by the West Bengal police on February 29 in connection with the attack on ED officials, following which the state government handed over the case to the state CID.
The CBI has taken over the investigation into the attack on Enforcement Directorate officers by a mob in Sandeskhali on January 5, registering an FIR on Tuesday hours after the Calcutta High Court directed the state police to hand over the case to the central agency, officials said.
The probing agency promptly acted on the orders of the High Court which had directed on Tuesday that the central probe agency be handed over the case and the custody of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh by 4.30 PM.
A CBI team reached the CID office in Kolkata with paramilitary forces to take custody of Sheikh, who was arrested by the state police on February 29 in connection with the attack, but he was not handed over to the agency by the West Bengal police.
With inputs from PTI
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