The Enforcement Directorate asserted on Thursday that it lodged its inaugural indictment against suspended luminary of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, Shajahan Sheikh, alongside his sibling and two purported confederates in the course of an inquiry into a case of financial malfeasance.
In addition to Shajahan, the indictment encompasses Sk Alomgir, Shib Prasad Hazra, and Didar Boksh Molla. This dossier has been presented before a specialized tribunal governed by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also submitted its indictment against Sheikh and sundry others earlier this week.
As per the assertion by the Enforcement Directorate, Sheikh stands accused of “orchestrating a criminal realm that encompasses illicit usurpation of land, clandestine fishery activities/trade, control over brick kilns, consolidation of contract bids, extortion of illicit duties/tolls, kickbacks from real estate transactions, among others.”
The suspended luminary of the Trinamool Congress, alongside his sibling and their two purported allies, was apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with this case, and they are currently detained in a correctional facility under judicial custody. According to official sources, the agency might file supplementary indictments in this matter.
Sheikh was apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate on March 30 concerning an incident of mob violence against the agency’s personnel during a raid on his premises in Sandeshkhali, located in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, on January 5, pertaining to an investigation into alleged malfeasance in the distribution of subsidized rations under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the state.
The latest investigation into money laundering allegations against Sheikh and his associates emanates from numerous First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the West Bengal Police against them, including charges of intimidation, homicide, attempted homicide, extortion, and land usurpation.
The Enforcement Directorate stated that it has recorded statements from various individuals involved in the case, including local agriculturists, indigenous people, fish vendors, intermediaries, exporters, land proprietors, and contractors. Furthermore, the agency has confiscated three sport utility vehicles (SUVs) belonging to Sheikh and Alomgir. The total value of the “proceeds of crime” in this money laundering case is estimated at Rs 288.20 crore, as per the Enforcement Directorate’s assessment.
