Money laundering case: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday said that it has arrested three associates of suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh as part of an investigation into a money laundering case. Shib Prasad Hazra, Sekh Alomgir and Didar Boksh Molla were taken into custody on April 12 following the order of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court granting 10 days ED custody, the agency said.
Here's what ED claims
The ongoing money laundering probe against Sheikh and his purported associates originates from various FIRs filed by the West Bengal Police. These FIRs accuse them of offences such as making threats, murder, attempted murder, extortion, and land grabbing.
"During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that Shahjahan Seikh has been running fisheries on the illegally grabbed lands from tribals/farmers and has accrued Proceeds of Crime by sale of fish/shrimp from the grabbed lands in the name of his firm SK Sabina Fish Supplier and also from running various other businesses (including brick kilns)," the ED claimed.
"The cash generated from the said criminal scheduled offences has been laundered through firms/ companies like Magnum Export etc and projected such PoC as untainted money. Shahjahan Seikh in turn acquired huge number of movable and immovable properties from the said PoC derived, obtained and accrued from criminal activities relating to scheduled offences. In this case, ED has already attached various movable and immovable properties belonging to Shahjahan Seikh of worth around Rs 12.78 Crores," it added.
Sheikh 14 days' judicial remand
Earlier, a special PMLA court in Kolkata today sent Sheikh to 14 days of judicial custody for alleged money laundering in the garb of pisciculture business.
Sheikh was arrested by the ED on March 30 in relation to a case involving a mob attack on the agency's officials during a search of his premises in Sandeshkhali, located in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, on January 5. The search was part of an investigation into a money laundering case associated with an alleged scam in the distribution of PDS ration in the state.
(With agencies input)
