KOLKATA: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a lookout notice for Shahjahan Sheikh, suspecting that the Trinamool leader might cross the international border into Bangladesh after Friday’s attack on the agency’s officials by his supporters, when the sleuths tried to search his house in connection with the foodgrain scam.
Sheikh is local leader of the Trinamool Congress. His house in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas is close to the Bangladesh border. The central agency alerted airports and Border Security Force (BSF) authorities by circulating his photographs.
Sources in the ED said the BSF has been put on high alert about Shahjahan Sheikh. “We have information that he is planning to flee to Bangladesh. The Border Guard Bangladesh is carrying out intense patrolling because of the elections in the neighbouring country. Shahjahan may wait for a couple of days to look for right opportunity to cross over,” sources said.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose instructed authorities to arrest Sheikh and investigate his alleged connection with terrorists, which drew sharp criticism from the ruling TMC.
Central Reserve Police Force personnel who accompanied the ED team during the raid were also attacked by Sheikh’s men. Inspector General of CRPF, Birendra Kumar Singh on Sunday held a 30-minute meeting with the governor.
No arrests till date
The police lodged FIRs—against the ED, unruly mob who attacked the officials of the central agency and Shahjahan and his associates. No arrests have been made till now