ED team attacked in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas: Officials

An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team was attacked and its vehicles damaged in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district when it tried to raid the house of a block level functionary of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in connection with alleged ration scam, officials of the agency said.

The officials added the agency was raiding the premises of two block-level leaders Shahjahan Sheikh, and Shankar Adhya, and their relatives since Friday morning in North 24 Parganas under the security of central forces. State food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick has been arrested in connection with the alleged scam.

They said when the NIA team tried to break open the door of Sheikh’s house after repeated calls, hundreds of men and women, gathered at the spot shouting slogans. They also attacked the officials and damaged at least one vehicle, a resident told journalists. It was unclear whether Sheikh or his family members were present in the house.

“ED officials were attacked and a vehicle was damaged. Even the media was attacked. ED officials had to flee from the spot,” said the resident.

An ED official said they were safe. “The search operation had to be abandoned. We are returning to Kolkata,” the official told journalists.