ED arrests TMC leader Shankar Adhya in West Bengal ration scam case; team attacked by mob in Bongaon
Shankar Adhya was the former chairman of Bongaon municipality and is known to be close to former state minister Jyotipriya Mullick. Nearly 100 men and women tried to stop ED officers from taking him away.
3 min read
Adhya was arrested after he was picked up by ED officials on Friday midnight after day-long raids at his residence, his relative’s house and the residences of two of his employees. (Screengrab from X/@ANI)The Enforcement Directorate (ED) late on Friday night arrested Trinamool Congress leader Shankar Adhya, who was the former chairman of Bongaon municipality, in connection with the alleged ration scam in West Bengal. Adhya is known to be close to former state minister Jyotipriya Mullick, who was arrested by the central agency earlier.
Adhya was arrested after he was picked up from his residence in Bongaon town on Friday midnight even as a mob of nearly 100 men and women gathered at the spot and tried to thwart ED officers from taking him away. The ED team was accompanied by central forces jawans, who resorted to a baton charge to control the mob and disperse them.
The incident was similar to what ED officials faced in Sandeshkhali. The ED team conducting a search at TMC leader and North 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad member Shahjahan Sheikh’s residence in Sandeshkhali were attacked by his loyalists who also manhandled accompanying CRPF personnel. The police are yet to arrest anyone in connection with this incident though three people have been detained.
According to ED sources, while their convoy was leaving Bongaon, the mob started to pelt stones at their vehicles, shattering the glass of one of the vehicles. “Our officers and central forces faced a mob of over 100 people. However, central forces managed to control the situation,” the source said.
The ED on Friday conducted day-long raids at Adhya’s residence, his relative’s house and the residences of two of his employees. According to the ED, incriminating documents were seized from his residence.
“I am innocent. The agency should impartially probe and find out the truth,” Adhya said, speaking to the media while being taken for a health checkup.
Adhya will be produced in court on Saturday after a health checkup.
Meanwhile, ED authorities have sent an email to the state director general of police and police superintendent of North 24 Parganas with details of the Friday morning incident in Sandeshkhali where three officers were injured after being assaulted.
“Heard ED has communicated to state police that they want Shajahan Sheikh. We have just one thing to say. Why is ED communicating with state police after the incident? They should inform and communicate before the raids so that state police can cooperate. Why were there ED operations and provocations without informing the state government or state police,” Kunal Ghosh, TMC state secretary and spokesperson, said in a video message Saturday morning.
You May Like
Photos
