Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shajahan, accused of sexual violence and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali village, being produced at the Basirhat court, in North 24 Parganas, Thursday, Feb 29, 2024.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Basirhat (WB): A court in West Bengal's Basirhat on Sunday extended the CBI custody of Shajahan Sheikh, the key accused in a mob attack on ED officials at Sandeshkhali, by another four days at the request of the central agency.
The Central Bureau of Investigation obtained custody of Sheikh on March 6, following the transfer of the investigation on an order of the Calcutta High Court.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials faced an attack when conducting a raid on the premises of the now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader in Sandeshkhali.
The judge of the Basirhat court in North 24 Parganas district granted a four-day extension of Sheikh's custody to the CBI upon the agency's request.
The court has directed that Sheikh be produced before it again on March 14.
Sheikh was brought before the Basirhat court, approximately 70 km away from Kolkata, where he is currently held in CBI custody, under tight security.
ED officials were attacked by an around 1000-strong mob when they went to search the premises of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali on January 5 in connection with the agency's investigation into an alleged ration distribution scam case, in which a former minister of the state has been arrested.
Sheikh was arrested by the state police on February 29 a day after the high court ordered that the CBI, ED or the West Bengal police could arrest him.