Day after attack on ED team in Bengal, its officials booked for ‘trespass’, ‘outraging woman’s modesty’

According to police sources, one of the FIRs was lodged on the basis of a complaint filed by the caretaker of Sheikh’s house, another on the basis of ED’s complaint filed on Friday and the third was registered suo motu.

It is alleged in the complaint that the ED officials “attempted to force their way” into the TMC leader’s residence “without showing any search warrant and in violation of the law”, a source said.

The FIR against ED officials was registered are under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 441 (criminal trespass), 379 (intention to commit theft) and 354 (outraging a woman’s modesty).

Officials said the other two FIRs were filed under IPC sections 147, 148, 149 (rioting) and 353 (assault on public servants)

“This is a very sensitive case. I cannot say anything about the FIRs. Anyway, presently I am outside the police station. So please don’t call me,” Officer in charge of Nyazat police station Subhasish Pramanik told The Indian Express over phone.

Calls made to Bashirhat police district SP  J Thomas Saturday went unanswered. Sources added that though the police are yet to arrest anyone in connection with Friday’s attack, three persons have been detained and are being interrogated.

Meanwhile, two ED officers, Ankur Gupta and Somnath Dutta, who were injured in Friday’s alleged attack, were discharged from hospital in Kolkata. The third officer, Rajkumar Ram, who had sustained head injuries and was admitted to High Dependency Unit (HDU), is stable.

In a statement Friday, the ED had said a team of its officers reached Sheikh’s house in Sandeshkhali in the morning. The house was locked and no one responded to calls. The ED alleged that Sheikh’s “mobile (phone) location at that time indicated that he was inside” the house.

As the ED team waited, a large crowd, mostly supporters of Sheikh, gathered there and pushed away the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel accompanying the search team. The crowd overpowered the officers, vandalised their vehicles and blocked roads. The ED alleged that three of its officers were injured and their personal belongings and official items such as mobile phones, laptops and wallets were snatched.

ED issues lookout notice for Sheikh

The ED issued a lookout notice for TMC Zilla Parishad member and the party convenor Shahjahan Sheikh and his four brothers on Saturday.  Sources said that ED has alerted the Intelligence Bureau and Border Security Force indicating that Sheikh and his family “may try to sneak into neighbouring Bangladesh”.  with PTI inputs