Bengal Oppn welcomes CBI slapping attempt to murder charges on Shahjahan

Opposition parties in West Bengal welcomed the CBI slapping attempt to murder charge on suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in connection with the attack on an ED team in Sandeshkhali on January 5.

The same charge besides criminal conspiracy was also brought against Sheikh's brother and five others.

The Congress, CPI(M) and the BJP said that they expect the verdict in connection with the case to be delivered quickly.

Declining to comment in this regard, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh claimed that investigations of the central agencies are "highly influenced" by the Centre and the point mentioned in the chargesheet gets changed during trials.

"I welcome the CBI's chargesheet which included sections of criminal conspiracy and attempt to murder on Shajahan and his men. Otherwise, it would have become a practice in West Bengal that mobs can attack investigating officers. We want the culprits in the Sandeshkhali attack on the ED case to be punished. Their punishment should be set as an example for others," BJP senior leader Rahul Sinha told PTI.

CPI(M) leader and Dum Dum Lok Sabha candidate Sujan Chakraborty said it has been more than four months since the attack on the ED officers happened.

"Shajahan and his men are the culprits. The CBI's chargesheet has rightfully included sections related to criminal conspiracy and attempt to murder against them," he said.

Senior Congress leader Manoj Chakraborty said he expects the law to punish the culprits quickly.

The CBI has charged suspended TMC leader Shahajahan Sheikh, his brother and five others with criminal conspiracy and attempt to murder in connection with a mob attack on an Enforcement Directorate team in Sandeshkhali on January 5, officials said on Tuesday.

The CBI has invoked IPC Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 307 (attempt to murder) on the accused besides rioting and unlawful among several other charges, they said.

The agency's first charge sheet in the case was filed on Monday before a Basirhat special court, they said.

Talking to PTI, Kunal Ghosh said, "I will prefer not to comment on anything in this case. But what we have generally seen is that such investigations conducted by these central agencies are highly influenced by the central government."

The ED team came under attack from a 1,000-strong mob when it went to raid Sheikh's house in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal. It had also gone to arrest Sheikh because of his alleged close links with arrested former state food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, under the scanner in the scam, they said.