ED Attack in West Bengal: Residents shared how nearly 1,000 supporters swiftly assembled in just half an hour near the residence of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan.

On Friday, chaos erupted when an ED team attempted to conduct searches at Shahjahan’s residence in North 24 Parganas district, related to an alleged ration scam case. They were met with aggression from a mob of hundreds, who not only attacked the ED officials but also assaulted accompanying CRPF personnel. The agency reported serious injuries to three of its officers.

Local residents described how within 30 minutes, nearly 1,000 people gathered from nearby villages near the TMC leader’s home. The homes of the Sheikh brothers were found either locked from the inside or outside, with signs of resistance.

The locals asserted that Sheikh Shahjahan, a prominent political figure in the region, wields considerable influence and employs a significant number of people.

The crowd included supporters from different parts of Sandeshkhali, arriving in e-rickshaws, autorickshaws, and motorcycles. Many were chanting slogans against the ED while expressing solidarity with Shahjahan.

The situation escalated around 7 am, with the crowd advancing towards the ED team and CRPF personnel. Witnesses reported youths grabbing ED officers, dragging them, and assaulting them. Some individuals were seen with bamboo poles, iron rods, and sticks. By 7:45 am, an ED official was observed bleeding from the head, and a CRPF jawan used his handkerchief to stem the bleeding.

As the ED team retreated, their vehicles were pelted with stones, and a section of the crowd attempted to block the road to Kolkata using burning tires. “At 8:30 AM, police came. Around 10 am, the police superintendent of Basirhat police district arrived with a large police force, but everything was already finished by that time,” shared a local resident.

Meanwhile, four officers from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) were left behind and took an autorickshaw to go to Kolkata. Later, they were picked up by central forces in a vehicle.

TMC leader Sheikh Ashanur said, “Shahjahan is not someone who runs away; he must be busy with something important. On Friday, we repeatedly asked ED officials to give a notice, and he would appear, but they ignored our suggestions and started using force.”

On Saturday, police checkpoints were set up near the homes of Shahjahan and his brothers.

About 5 kilometers away, at the “Sheikh Shahjahan market” established in 2011, everything was normal. A local CPM leader mentioned, “He (Shahjahan) is quite wealthy and has a group of young people whom he pays Rs 6,000-10,000 every month. They were all there yesterday.”

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