TMC loyalists assault ED officers, damage vehicles during raid in Bengal

Kolkata: As the ED officers attempted to raid TMC leader Sheikh Sajahan's home in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Friday as part of their investigation into the ration distribution scams, they were allegedly attacked and their vehicles were damaged by his followers.

Sajahan's residence is one of the fifteen locations throughout the state where the ED officers are conducting raids during the day, an officer stated.

A large number of TMC loyalists first gheraoed the ED officials and the central forces personnel who accompanied them when they reached Sheikh's residence in the Sandeshkhali area in the morning and demonstrated before assaulting them and forcing them to leave the area, the officer said.

One of the officers suffered head injuries and had to be taken to a hospital, he said.

Sajahan is considered to be a close aide of state minister Jyotipriyo Mallick who was arrested in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam.

"This kind of attack is unprecedented. We have sent a report on Shiekh Sajahan to our Delhi office," the ED officer said.

Sajahan's supporters attacked the officials and the central forces personnel when they tried to break the lock of the gate of his residence which was not opened by the TMC leader despite several calls made by them, he said.

Senior police officers including the SP of North 24 Parganas district did not communicate when the ED officers tried to contact them, he alleged.

The ED officers are conducting raids at 15 places in West Bengal in connection with the scam.

With PTI inputs