Bengal Governor, Calcutta HC take Trinamool Govt to task over attacks on ED officials

Friday’s attack on the Enforcement Directorate team and its accompanying CRPF escorts in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali and Bongaon continued to haunt the Trinamool Congress and its Government on Monday as the Calcutta High Court agreed to hear a Public Interest petition on the matter.

The division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya allowed a private petitioner leave to file his petition and listed the matter for hearing for Thursday.

During the hearing in the High Court, the Chief Justice stated that the bench was aware of the incident and questioned where the petitioner received their information from. “We are aware of the incident…we have read half your petition in the papers. Who is the petitioner? How did he get his information? From newspapers? File the plea in the regular course…it will be taken up on Thursday,” he said.

The Governor, CV Ananda Bose, too kept up the pressure on the State Government. He shot off a letter to the State Government, seeking a report from the State Government on action taken in response to the mob attack and the whereabouts of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who went missing after the ED and CRPF personnel were assaulted when they had gone to raid his house in connection with the ongoing investigation into the multi-crore ration distribution scam in the State.

Bose asked the State Government to provide a report explaining why Sheikh has not been arrested, and to clarify whether he is still in India. He also urged the West Bengal Government to “hold accountable those responsible for the failure of the law and order machinery, and to take action against police officers who neglected their duties,” a Raj Bhavan official said.

Bose asked the State Government to provide a report explaining why Sheikh has not been arrested, and to clarify whether he is still in India. He also urged the West Bengal Government to “hold accountable those responsible for the failure of the law and order machinery, and to take action against police officers who neglected their duties,” a Raj Bhavan official said.

Bose had held a meeting with top officials of the CRPF and the ED on Sunday, during which he expressed strong displeasure over the police’s failure to apprehend Sheikh, he said.
The ED has issued a lookout notice for Sheikh due to concerns that he might flee the country to Bangladesh which borders Sandeshkhali.