Money laundering case: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed its first chargesheet against suspended West Bengal TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, his brother and two alleged accomplices as part of a money laundering case investigation. The prosecution complaint also includes Sk Alomgir, who is Shahjahan's brother, along with Shib Prasad Hazra and Didar Boksh Molla.
The chargesheet has been filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kolkata.
ED in a statement said that Sheikh had "created a criminal empire revolving around land grabbing, illegal fish farming/trading, grabbing brick fields, cartelisation of contracts, collection of illegal taxes/levies, commission on land deals etc."
The suspended TMC leader, his brother and his two alleged aides were arrested by the ED in this case and they are currently lodged in jail under judicial custody. The agency may file supplementary chargesheets in this case, official sources said.
What is the case?
Sheikh was arrested by the ED on March 30 following an incident of mob assault on the agency's officials during a search of his premises in Sandeshkhali, located in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, on January 5. This search was part of an investigation into a money laundering case associated with an alleged scam in the distribution of PDS ration in the state.
The latest money laundering investigation against Sheikh and his associates stems from multiple FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police against them on charges of giving threats, murder, attempt to murder, extortion, land grabbing etc.
The ED said it has recorded the statement of various persons in the case, including that of local farmers, tribals, fish merchants, agents, exporters, landowners and contractors, and has also seized three SUVs belonging to Sheikh and Alomgir.
The total "proceeds of crime" in this money laundering case are estimated at Rs 288.20 crore, according to the ED.
CBI files chargesheet against Shahjahan Sheikh
Earlier this week, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet against a suspended TMC leader and six others in connection with an attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers on January 5 during a raid at his house in a ration scam case at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal.
A team of ED officials was attacked by a nearly 1,000-strong mob on January 5 when they went to raid the house of Sheikh, who allegedly has close links with arrested former state food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal. The team had gone to arrest Sheikh because of his alleged close links with arrested former state food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick under scanner in the scam.
(With PTI inputs)
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