Land grabbing, laundering money through his fishery business, and creating an atmosphere of terror — these allegations figure among submissions made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in court while seeking custody of suspended Trinamool Congress strongman Sheikh Shahjahan.
According to the ED’s submissions, made as part of its PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering) case against him, “Shahjahan and others… had created an atmosphere of terror by indulging in organised crime of giving threats of injury, murder, attempt to murder, extortion, etc, and also grabbed land of the general public and obtained illegal monetary gains/ benefits.”
According to the agency, Shahjahan ran a fishery company named Sabina in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali. The agency, which questioned the company’s manager, submitted: “In 2019, Shahjahan conducted a meeting in Shahjahan market wherein he threatened all fish vendors in the market to sell fish through his firm only. He also threatened to shut their business if they did not listen. Sabina acquires 50% shrimp directly from fish vendors/ farmers, 10-15% shrimp from his (Shahjahan’s) own farmland, and 35-40% from shrimp farms illegally grabbed from villagers.”
In fact, during the February protests that had broken out in Sandeshkhali demanding Shahjahan’s arrest, one of the key allegations was how he and his supporters had grabbed acres upon acres of farmland and converted it to fisheries.
Sahajhan’s residence at Akunji para more in Sandeshkhali. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)
“Shahjahan had a team of persons… who used to sell shrimp to Sabina from land illegally acquired by Shahjahan… In reality, these people do not have any land in their name… Bank accounts of (these persons) were controlled and managed by Shahjahan. He would give directions to these persons for usage of the amount given to them by Sabina. This amount was used by (these persons) for purchase of land in their name on the instructions of Shahjahan, which are in real benami properties,” the ED submitted, elaborating on the alleged money laundering.
Administration trying to restore a field, which was allegedly grabbed by Shahjahan (Express photo by Partha Paul)
The ED also quoted a partner in an export company, which dealt with Shahjahan, as saying: “Shahjahan came to my office in 2020-21 and said he wanted to do business with my firm and wants to sell shrimps through Sabina. We started doing business from March 2021. However, after some time, he came to my office and told me I have to provide him some bogus entries, that is, he would provide cash to me and in return I will transfer the same amount through my firm to Sabina, showing them as genuine transactions for sale of shrimps. I refused, but he threatened to kill me and my family… Everyone is scared of him and being a father of two daughters, I was more scared.”
Shahjahan first made headlines on January 5, when an ED team that went to conduct searches at his residence in Sandeshkhali came under attack from his supporters. He then went under the radar for a month. On January 8, several women residents of Sandeshkhali took to the streets demanding his arrest and alleging that his aides and henchmen had been sexually harassing women for years.
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As the pressure mounted on the TMC government, Shahjahan was arrested on February 29.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
Sahajhan’s residence at Akunji para more in Sandeshkhali. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)
Administration trying to restore a field, which was allegedly grabbed by Shahjahan (Express photo by Partha Paul)
