The Union home ministry has asked the CISF to provide security cover at several offices of the Enforcement Directorate across the country, including the one in Calcutta, in the wake of recent attacks and threats to agency officials, ministry sources said on Monday.

A home ministry official said CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) personnel would be deployed at the ED offices to avoid obstruction during searches and investigations.

“The decision to deploy CISF personnel has been taken on the basis of a threat-assessment report received from intelligence agencies. The ED top brass had also sent a proposal to the ministry seeking security cover,” the official said.

“Initially, the paramilitary forces will be deployed in Calcutta, Mumbai, Ranchi, Raipur, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Jaipur and Kochi and later it will provide security cover to the ED offices across the country,” the official said.

The CISF is already in charge of the security at the ED headquarters in Delhi.

In January, an ED team from Calcutta that had raided Trinamool strongman Sheikh Shahjahan’s home at Sandeshkhali in North 24-Parganas to probe allegations of corruption in ration distribution was attacked by a mob. The ED officials were beaten up and their cars smashed.

In December last year, Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption arrested senior ED officer Ankit Tiwari on extortion charges and raided the agency’s sub-zonal office in Madurai. The agency had filed a complaint with the state police chief alleging that sensitive documents were stolen from its office.

“Such unfortunate incidents in the past serve as a stark reminder of the risks and threats faced by agency officials in discharging their duties. We had recently sent a proposal to the home ministry seeking security cover,” an ED official said.

A CISF official said the force would soon begin a survey to ascertain the personnel requirement at each office.

The Opposition parties have long accused the Narendra Modi government of using investigative agencies to target rivals and critics.

At present, raiding ED teams are accompanied by troops from central paramilitary forces such as the CRPF and the CISF in Opposition-ruled states like Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand. Local cops accompany ED teams in the BJP-ruled states.

The ED operates from 21 zonal and 18 sub-zonal offices spanning 40 cities across five regions — east, west, south, north and central.