National Security Guard's bomb squads reach Sandeshkhali after discovery of arms

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A 10-member CBI team recovered a large amount of arms and ammunition, as well as several bombs from the house in Sandeshkhali.

Teams from the National Security Guard arrived at Sandeshkhali after a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered. (Screengrab)

Kolkata,UPDATED: Apr 26, 2024 21:43 IST

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted a raid on a house in West Bengal's Sandeshkali in connection to the attack on a team of the Enforcement Directorate on January 5. The ED officers were attacked while they were on their way to conduct a raid on the house of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who is currently behind bars.

A 10-member CBI team raided a house in Sandeshkhali's Sarberia area which belongs to Abu Taleb, the relative of a local Trinamool Congress leader, Hafizul Khan. Hafizul is a close associate of Sheikh Shajahan.

While probing the case over the attack on the ED team, the CBI received information that the items lost by the probe agency in January and other incriminating items may have been hidden at the residence of an associate of Sheikh Shahjahan at Sandeshkhali.

Accordingly, a CBI team alongwith CRPF personnel searched two premises at Sandeshkhali on Friday. During the raid, the officials recovered three foreign-made revolvers, one Indian revolver, a Colt Official Police revolver and multiple bullets and cartridges.

Incriminating documents relatd to Sheikh Shahjahan were also recovered.

Bomb squads from the National Security Guard also reached the location in Sandeshkhali following the recovery of arms, ammunition and bombs. They disposed off items suspected to be country-made bombs.

The investigating officers reached the location after receiving a tip-off and also brought with them a bomb scanning device to locate the explosives.

The raid is currently ongoing.

The leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, slammed the TMC government over the raids and asked which security force would arrive next in Sandeshkhali. "ED, CBI, NIA, NSG. What Next in Sandeshkhali? Army?" asked Adhikari.

He slammed the Chief Minister and said, "Mamata Banerjee has lost the moral authority to continue as the Chief Minister of West Bengal after fostering terrorists like Shahjahan Sheikh."

On the other hand, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that there is a possibility that the party's "rivals" planted the arms.

"Till now, we have not seen any arms. The sources are saying that the CBI has recovered some arms there. However, the CBI has not briefed anything officially...It is possible that our rivals or some political parties have planted arms. The police should have been alert," said Ghosh.

Sheikh Shahjahan, a former Trinamool Congress strongman, was arrested on February 29, after 55 days on the run, in connection to the ED team attack case.

His arrest came just three days after the Calcutta High Court criticised the state police for the delay in taking action against him, stating that "he should be arrested".

Following his arrest, the West Bengal Police transferred his custody to the CBI.

Sheikh Shahjahan has also been accused of sexual violence and land grab by several women in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali.

Published By:

Karishma Saurabh Kalita

Published On:

Apr 26, 2024