Even as the prime accused in the assault on Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali, Trinamul Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh, continues to evade the police three days after the incident, the central agency practically pointed fingers at the district police for dereliction of duty during both the Sandeshkhali and Bongaon raids held last Friday.

Sheikh remained at large despite local MLA Sukumar Mahato’s claims that the leader is very much present in the area and was seeking legal recourse against the charges brought against him by the agency.

In a Press communication on Monday, the ED accused the local police of diluting the cases slapped against the accused in connection with the assault which left three agency officers grievously injured. Besides failing to nab the absconding Trinamul leader, the police have also failed to make any arrests so far on the mass assault of ED, CRPF and media persons, looting and destruction of their property.

“During the search at residence and office premises of Sahajahan Sheikh, Convenor of TMC Sandesh Khali, North 24 Parganas on 05.01.24, ED teams were attacked and accordingly, a complaint was made to jurisdictional Police for registration of FIR for offences under Section 307, 333, 326, 353, 392, 395, 397, 149, 148, 186, 189, 426, 435, 440, 341 & 342 r/w Section 120B, 109 and 115 of IPC, 1860,” the ED stated.

“Police registered FIR no. 09 of 2024 at Nazat P.S. for offences i.e. 147, 148, 149, 341, 186, 353, 323, 427, 379, 504, 34 [Mostly bailable and non-scheduled offences]. Copy of the FIR has not been shared with this Directorate,” it went on to add.

Newly appointed DGP Rajeev Kumar, however, told mediapersons: “We will take strict action against those who took law in their own hands”.

Referring to the Sandeshkhali rerun during the Bongaon search operation which took place on the same day and from where former Bongaon municipality chairman Shankar Addhya was arrested, the agency stated: “All the ED team members as well as CRPF personnel were threatened and assaulted by the crowd and obstructed the officials of the ED in performing their official duty at around 11:30 PM.”

The ED category refuted police claims that the raids were conducted keeping them in the dark. “In this case Bongaon police was informed through email at 8:46 AM and thereafter SP Bongaon was contacted on mobile at around 4:00 PM with the request to provide sufficient security to the ED team. Despite this request, a crowd was allowed to be gathered near premises being searched and the crowd pelted stones and attacked the ED team around 11:30 PM,” the agency alleged.

“A formal complaint has been lodged with the concerned Police authorities. FIR Copy is awaited in this case also,” the ED stated in connection with the attack on agency officials in Bongaon.

Explaining the grounds for the raids in connection with the under-probe ration distribution scam, the ED stated: “During the investigation, it was revealed that such persons laundered the proceeds of crime using corporate identity of various companies, invested in acquisition of various immovable properties and also transferred part of said POC (Proceeds of Crime) to certain companies under the control and beneficial ownership of Jyoti Priya Mallick.”

“During further investigation, searches were conducted at various Full Fledged Money Changers (FFMC) companies and associated persons on 05.01.2024 and relevant evidence was seized during the search,” the agency went on to add.

Vindicating The Telegraph Online’s previous report on the value of the scam, the ED stated: “The investigation carried out so far indicates that the magnitude of the scam is enormous, and the proceeds of crime received and further transferred and layered by one suspected person itself are suspected to be at-least to the tune of Rs. 9,000 – 10,000 crore and out of that, Rs 2000 crore were also suspected to be transferred to Dubai either directly or through Bangladesh.”

Meanwhile, sources in the ED confirmed that investigators were seeking expert opinion on the handwriting of the letter, purportedly written by arrested minister Jyoti Priya Mallick from his cabin at SSKM Hospital, where the names of both Shahjahan Sheikh and Shankar Addhya featured to enable them to use it as evidence in court for involvement of all the accused in the scam.