On Saturday, January 6, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a lookout notice for Shahjahan Sheikh, a block-level official of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The move came a day after a team comprising officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), CRPF, and journalists en route to Shahjahan Sheikh’s residence in Sandeshkhali of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal was attacked and their vehicles were targeted.
The ED team had reached to execute a raid on the residence of Shahjahan Sheikh as part of an investigation into the ration scam when a mob of 800-1000 people, purportedly the supporters of Sheikh attacked the ED team. The ED on Friday said that the mob attacked its officials “with an intention to cause death.”
Popularly referred to as ‘Betaj Badshah’, TMC’s Shahjahan Sheikh is an influential person in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, an area that is adjacent to the Bangladesh border.
Despite coming from an incredibly poor family and having no political background, the 53-year-old TMC leader’s name is now a force to be reckoned with in Sandeshkhali. Sheikh started off doing odd jobs to make ends meet. He worked as a truck driver, a conductor, sold vegetables etc, but along with all this, he continued to maintain contacts with influential people of Sandeshkhali.
He started as CPI(M) leader Moslem Sheikh’s right-hand man, collecting money for him. He subsequently started to dabble in local fishing and real estate. In 2004, Sheikh entered politics as a union leader in brick kilns in Sandeshkhali. He then joined the Left regime in 2006.
Shahjahan continued to bat for the Left when the state underwent a regime transition in 2011. However, he joined the Trinamool Congress in 2013 and rose to prominence quickly, under the mentorship of West Bengal Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick and the then-TMC national general secretary Mukul Roy.
Shahjahan Shiekh gradually grew very close to Mallick and since then his ascent through the ranks of authority has been relentless.
It is believed that Sheikh has played a significant role in the political party in power by aiding in the rigging of the Sandeshkhali area elections.
Additionally, Sheikh’s name has always kept coming up whenever the ruling TMC has clashed with the BJP party in the state.
In fact, in June 2019, violent clashes erupted in Sandeshkhali post the Lok Sabha elections where TMC goons had clashed with BJP workers in the area. The clash led to the death of three BJP workers including Pradip and Sukanta Mandal. TMC’s Shahjahan Sheikh was named as an accused in the FIR filed in connection with the murder of these two BJP workers but he had escaped any sort of police action.
Locals said that Sheikh has been involved in various illegal activities since 2006 but he has always surrounded himself with powerful people as a defensive tactic in case he gets charged with any wrongdoing. This is purportedly the reason why he got away in the BJP workers Pradip and Sukanta Mandal’s murder case.
Today, (January 6) BJP leader Amit Malviya took to X to share a video of the brother of the deceased BJP worker Pradip Mandal wherein he narrates how his brother was brutally murdered by TMC goons led by Shahjahan Sheikh. The BJP leader revealed how after the murder, Sheikh, who was the prime accused in the case, easily escaped action by fleeing to Bangladesh.
“Sheikh Shahjahan is no ordinary criminal. In 2019, he and his men, most of them illegal Rohingyas from Bangladesh, killed BJP workers Sukanta Mandal and Pradip Mandal… Their bodies were riddled with bullet, using sophisticated firearms, and chopped into several pieces. Shahjahan had then escaped across the border, while Mamata Banerjee’s police remained a mute spectator. But he is now, clearly, on borrowed time.” the BJP leader wrote.
Sheikh Shahjahan is no ordinary criminal. In 2019, he and his men, most of them illegal Rohingyas from Bangladesh, killed BJP workers Sukanta Mandal and Pradip Mandal… Their bodies were riddled with bullet, using sophisticated firearms, and chopped into several pieces. Shahjahan… pic.twitter.com/q76mQ96YmS
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 6, 2024
The BJP leader shared another video wherein the TMC leader could be seen openly issuing veil threats against the law enforcement agencies and BJP leaders.
“Yesterday, Mamata Banerjee’s spokespersons came out in full force to defend Shahjahan Sheikh, the criminal, who ordered attack on ED officials and media in Sandeshkhali. In a public speech on 1st Jan 2024, Shahjahan claimed that CBI and ED wouldn’t be able to even touch his ‘hair’… He also asked everyone to pray so that he doesn’t get angry or else he will break the teeth of BJP workers and leaders, execute them after 2024 (since TMC controls Govt in Bengal) and rip the skin off their bodies. Sheikh Shahjahan has all the trappings of Anubroto Mondal, Mamata Banerjee’s pet henchman, who is now in jail… Shahjahan will meet the same fate, and soon,” Amit Malviya’s post read.
Yesterday, Mamata Banerjee’s spokespersons came out in full force to defend Shahjahan Sheikh, the criminal, who ordered attack on ED officials and media in Sandeshkhali.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 6, 2024
In a public speech on 1st Jan 2024, Shahjahan claimed that CBI and ED wouldn’t be able to even touch his… pic.twitter.com/wARh0GDy3O
Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) and all airport authorities have been informed about the ED’s lookout notice for Shahjahan Sheikh. Sheikh has reportedly been on the run since ED officials were attacked close to his home, according to sources in the investigative agency.
Mob attacks ED team, journalists during raids on TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh in North 24 Parganas
On Friday (5th January), a team comprising officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), CRPF, and journalists was attacked and their vehicles were targeted in Sandeshkhali of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. The incident occurred when the ED team reached to execute a raid on the residence of Shahjahan Sheikh – a block-level official of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) – as part of an investigation into the ration scam.
According to reports, as the ED team attempted to enter Shajahan Sheikh’s house following multiple unanswered calls, a large group of men and women converged at the location, raising slogans. They also assaulted the officials and damaged their vehicles. The presence of Shahjahan Sheikh or his family members inside the house at that time could not be ascertained.
A news correspondent of News18 Bangla was also reportedly attacked. His car was also damaged and the camera of the journalist crew was also broken by these goons. Due to the assault by Shahjahan Sheikh’s supporters on the ED officials, the planned raid on the TMC leader could not be completed.
The BJP, meanwhile, alleged the involvement of Rohingyas in the attack.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari wrote on his X handle, “Horrific. The Law and order Situation in West Bengal is in shambles. ED Officials & CRPF Jawans brutally attacked in Sandeshkhali; North 24 Parganas district, while conducting Raid at TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan’s house. I doubt that Rohingyas are present among the anti-national attackers. I urge the Hon’ble Union Home Minister Amit Shah Ji, Hon’ble Governor of West Bengal, Director of ED and CRPF to take cognizance of this grave situation and take appropriate action to crush this anarchy. NIA should also probe this matter.”
Public Distribution System Scam
On 26th October, ED raided the residence of West Bengal Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick in Kolkata in connection to a corruption case related to ration distribution. Mallick is a senior TMC leader serving as the forest minister. Previously, he held the food minister portfolio. In response to the raid, Banerjee strongly criticised the central agency and accused the BJP-led government at the centre of using such actions as part of a “broader strategy” ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Interestingly, Mallick’s daughter Priyadarshini reportedly deposited Rs 3.37 crores in her bank account after the 2016 demonetisation. Being a school teacher, she draws an annual salary of 2.48 lakhs. During ED’s interrogation, she claimed to have earned the money as tuition fees. Furthermore, ED found a deposit of Rs 4.3 crores in the IDBI bank account of Mallick’s wife, Mandipa. ED arrested Mallick over an accusation of laundering Rs 95 crores using shell companies.
