Sandeshkhali case: CBI finally gets custody of suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh

Kolkata: After the tug of war between the West Bengal Police and the CBI, the federal agency on Wednesday evening got the custody of Sandeshkhali strongman and suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh following a Calcutta High Court Order for the second time, official sources said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation after getting the custody of Shahjahan, took the accused to the ESI hospital at Joka in south Kolkata, for routine check up.

A division bench of Calcutta High Court headed by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam directed the CID of West Bengal police to hand over Shahjahan to the CBI by 1630 hours on Tuesday.

However, the state government had moved to the Supreme Court on Tuesday and the Apex Court refused to hear the matter on urgent basis, court sources said.

The state government once again on Wednesday moved the Top Court but it has not received any order and was asked by the SC Judges to move to the Chief Justice of India for urgent hearing, the sources added.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), another federal agency probing the money trail in the alleged ration scam had moved a division bench of Calcutta High Court headed by Harish Tandon, which ordered the CID of West Bengal police to handover the accused to CBI by 1615 hours today.

But the CID, owing to paper works and logistic reasons, handed over Shahjahan at 6.45 PM, sources said.

The CID took Sahjahan to the state government owned SSKM hospital for routine check up and brought him back to CID headquarters at Bhawani Bhawan to transfer the accused to the CBI custody.

West Bengal police arrested Shahjahan Sheikh on February 29 morning and secured him for ten days police custody by an order of Basurhat district and Sessions court on the same day.

Meanwhile, the CBI on Wednesday filed three FIRs, including that of Shahjahan Sheikh in the attacks on the ED officials on January 5 and one against the jailed TMC leader Sankar Addya.