ED attaches Sheikh Shahjahan's properties worth Rs 12.78 crore

Kolkata : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Tuesday that its has provisionally attached properties worth around Rs 13 crore belonging to now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, the accused mastermind behind the attack on ED and CAPF teams in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali on January 5.

“The ED has provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth Rs 12.78 crore in the form of 14 immovable properties in the nature of apartment, agriculture land, land for fishery, and building etc. in Serberia, Sandeshkhali and Kolkata, and two bank accounts under the provisions of PMLA in the matter of Shahjahan Sheikh and others,” the agency said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The ED statement came soon after the CID of the state police refused to hand over Shahjahan to the CBI officers despite a clear order by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court passed earlier in the day.

The CID refused to hand over Shahjahan citing the state government moving the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court order.

To recall, an ED team accompanied by CAPF personnel had gone to Sandeshkhali on January 5 to question Shahjahan in connection with its probe into the multi-crore ration distribution case in West Bengal. However, as soon as they arrived in front of Shahjahan's residence, over a thousand supporters of the local Trinamool strongman attacked the ED and CAPF teams.

There ED officers were severely injured in the attack, who had to be hospitalised.