A 10-member team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a raid on a residence located in Sandeshkali, West Bengal, as part of their investigation into the attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team on January 5. The ED officers were assaulted while en route to conduct a raid at the home of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who is currently incarcerated.
The CBI team targeted a house situated in the Sarberia area of Sandeshkhali, which is purportedly owned by Abu Taleb, a relative of local Trinamool Congress leader Hafizul Khan, known to have close ties with Sheikh Shajahan. Supported by central security forces, the CBI operation resulted in the discovery of a substantial cache of arms, ammunition, and multiple explosive devices concealed within the premises.
Following the recovery of these dangerous materials, bomb disposal units from the National Security Guard were dispatched to the site in Sandeshkhali. Acting on intelligence leads, investigating officers deployed a bomb scanning device to pinpoint the locations of potential explosives, with the operation ongoing at present.
The Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, criticized the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for its handling of the situation, questioning which security agency would intervene next in Sandeshkhali. He derisively listed the ED, CBI, NIA, and NSG, insinuating the possibility of military involvement.
In response to the raid, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh raised suspicions of foul play, suggesting that the discovery of arms could have been orchestrated by the party's adversaries. While acknowledging reports of the CBI's findings, Ghosh emphasized the absence of official confirmation and proposed the notion that political rivals might have planted the incriminating evidence.
The arrested former Trinamool Congress figure, Sheikh Shahjahan, had been a fugitive for 55 days before his apprehension on February 29. His capture followed judicial scrutiny of the state police's handling of the case, with the Calcutta High Court urging swift action against him. Subsequently, the West Bengal Police transferred Shahjahan's custody to the CBI, where he faces charges related to the attack on the ED team, in addition to accusations of sexual violence and land encroachment raised by multiple women in the Sandeshkhali region.
