Money laundering case: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has attached property worth Rs 12.78 crore belonging to suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan in a money laundering case. Properties including bank deposits, an apartment, and agricultural and fishery land belonging to Shahjahan were attached by the probe agency.
"Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Kolkata has provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth Rs.12.78 Crore under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the ongoing investigations against Shahjahan Seikh and others," the ED said in a statement.
The investigation was initiated based on multiple FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 Arms Act, 1959, SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, and West Bengal State Highways Act against Sheikh Shahajahan and others. These FIRs include heinous offenses such as giving threats of injury, murder, attempted murder, extortion, and grabbing land belonging to the general public, among others.
14 immovable properties attached
"ED investigations under PMLA, 2002 revealed that Proceeds of crime acquired by Shahjahan Seikh by commission of criminal activities relating to scheduled offences as mentioned in above FIRs are being held, possessed, disguised and concealed by Shahjahan Seikh in the form of various movable and immovable properties," it said.
"ED has attached Proceeds of crime in form of immovable and movable properties to tune of Rs. 12.78 Crore. These properties include 14 immovable properties in the nature of apartment, agriculture land, land for fishery, land and building etc. in Gram Serberia, Sandeshkhali and Kolkata. Two bank accounts have also been attached," the central agency added.
Calcutta HC directs CBI to take over Sandeshkhali probe
The Calcutta High Court directed that the CBI be handed over the case of attack on ED officials at Sandeshkhali and the custody of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, as it slammed West Bengal Police for "totally biased" conduct and said every attempt is being made to delay the probe to "protect" the accused.
Within hours of the HC acceding to the Enforcement Directorate's request, the West Bengal government moved the Supreme Court challenging the order but an apex court bench refused an urgent listing of the plea and asked its counsel to mention the matter before the Registrar General.
The CBI, meanwhile, approached West Bengal Police to take over the investigation into the case. An agency team also reached the CID office in Kolkata with paramilitary forces to take custody of Sheikh, but the CID officials did not hand over him.
Also Read: Sandeshkhali row: Bengal govt refuses to hand over Sheikh Shahjahan to CBI
