NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday said that it has arrested three alleged associates of suspended TMC leader Shahajahan Sheikh including his security guard in connection with its probe into an attack on an Enforcement Directorate team on January 5.
Officials in the agency said that the CBI sleuths took into custody Sheikh’s security guard Didar Baksh Molla, who is the complainant in one of the three FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police after the attacks, as the cases relating to the assault incidents were handed over to the central agency by the Calcutta High Court.
Besides Baksh Molla, the CBI sleuths also arrested Jaiuddin Molla, the Panchayat Pradhan of Sarberia village, and another person Faruk Akunji.
The officials said that all the three are close associates of Sheikh who is considered the mastermind behind the attack. “They will be produced before a magistrate tomorrow,” a CBI spokesperson said.
The CBI had summoned nine close aides and associates of Sheikh for questioning in the case on Monday, the officials said, adding that the investigating team suspects that these individuals were allegedly part of the attack on the ED officials on January 5 and instigated the crowd to target the team, when they went to raid the premises of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal.
Sheikh, whose role in the attack is under probe, is in the custody of the CBI till March 14, the officials said.
The CBI has taken over investigation in three cases related to incidents on January 5, when ED officials were attacked by an around 1000-strong mob when they went to search Sheikh’s premises in connection with the enforcement agency’s investigation into an alleged ration distribution scam case. A former state minister has been arrested in the ration case.
It is to be noted here that Sheikh was arrested by the state police on February 29, a day after the high court ordered that the CBI, ED or the West Bengal police could arrest him.