Sandeshkhali attack on Jan 5: Bengal Police FIR against ED team says Rs 1.35 lakh, valuables stolen from TMC leader’s house

Also, column 7 refers to the accused as “few unknown persons representing to be officials of (the) Enforcement Directorate”.

Other sections invoked in the report against the central agency team include “outraging modesty (of a woman), criminal trespass, and criminal intimidation”.

The FIR under Sections 447 (criminal trespass), 448 (house trespass), 427 (mischief causing loss or damage), 354 (outrage of modesty of women), 379 (theft), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (act committed by several persons with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code was filed after a written complaint was submitted by one Didar Baksh Mollah who claimed to be the caretaker of Sheikh’s house.

Also, two other FIRs were registered on the complaints of ED officials and some mediapersons against “unidentified persons” invoking Sections 147, 148, 149 ( rioting and unlawful assembly) and 353 (individual uses or threatens to use criminal force to deter public servant from performing duty) of the IPC.

The police on Friday arrested two persons — Mehbub Mollah and Sukamal Sardar — in this connection.

The ED along with central force personnel came under an attack by a mob in the wee hours of January 5 when they went to the residence of Shahjahan Sheikh, a TMC zila parishad member from Ajunjipara, in connection with its investigation into the alleged ration scam.

The attackers, who also vandalised the vehicles of the search team, were allegedly supporters of the ruling party strongman.

Three ED officers were admitted to a private hospital with “injuries”.

A single bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered an interim stay till March 31 on proceedings of the case against the ED officers after the agency filed two petitions seeking quashing of the FIR.

The court also asked the state government to file an affidavit in this regard and sought a copy of the case diary from the police.

The court will now hear the matter on January 22.