Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday condemned the mob attacks on Enforcement Directorate teams in West Bengal and said people with no respect for law and those afraid of going to jail for their misdeeds carry out such attacks on probe agencies.

A few ED officers were assaulted and their vehicles were damaged allegedly by supporters of ruling Trinamul Congress leader Sheikh Sajahan on Friday when they tried to raid his residence in North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal in connection with their probe into the ration distribution scam.

On Saturday morning, an ED team arrested Bongaon Municipality's former chairman Shankar Adhya in an alleged ration scam in the Mamta Banerjee-ruled state. Following the arrest, Adhya's supporters allegedly tried to block the investigators from taking him with them, besides hurling stones at their vehicles. The CRPF personnel who were accompanying the ED team had to baton-charge the mob to bring the situation under control.

"In a democratic mechanism, government agencies work as per their mandate. They should be allowed to work without hindrance. Unfortunately, in some areas, people who are deeply involved in corruption have no respect for law and are scared of going to jail. They speak against agencies, attack agencies. I strongly condemn them," Pradhan said.

The Union minister was speaking to media on the sidelines of 13th convocation of Charotar University of Science and Technology (CHARUSAT) where he was invited as a chief guest.

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