The division bench headed by Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam on Monday allowed the prayer of an advocate, Sushmita Saha Datta, seeking the court’s permission to file a public interest litigation (PIL) on the recent attack on ED officials in Sandeshkhali allegedly by supporters of local Trinamul Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh.
Later, sources close to Saha Datta said that the PIL sought an NIA probe into the incident and “proper action” against the state police for not providing proper safety and security to the ED team during the raid.
The PIL is expected to come before the division bench for a hearing on Thursday.
An angry mob of around 200 men and women had pounced on ED officers and journalists who were tailing the central agency during the raid when they tried to force their way into the house of the Trinamul leader on January 5.
Many, including ED officers and journalists, were beaten with rods, punched and kicked, while their vehicles were damaged and windscreens smashed.
The state police had said that the central agency did not alert them before going on the raid, violating what they said was “protocol”.
Three ED officers had to be hospitalised, out of whom, two were discharged the next day.