Two men have been arrested in connection with the assault on officers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) who went to raid the house of Trinamul leader Shahjahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali in North 24-Parganas in connection with the PDS scam.
The Bengal police also submitted a prayer in the Basirhat court on Thursday to add sections in the case lodged by the ED. The prayer was accepted.
This is the first time since the attack a week ago that the police have made an arrest.
The two arrested have been identified as Mehebur Mollah and Sukomal Sardar, both residents of Fokir Tokia in Nazat, in North 24-Parganas.
The police said the accused were identified from video footage of the incident and rounded up early on Friday from a hideout near a fishery a few kilometres from their homes.
“They have been arrested for the assault on the ED officers. Their faces are clearly visible in the footage we have found from the day of the incident (January 5). We are in the process of identifying more people who are visible in the footage,” said a senior officer in the Basirhat police directorate.
The Basirhat police submitted a prayer in the local court on Thursday requesting addition of charges in the assault case that was drawn up based on a complaint by the ED.
The police had registered the case under IPC sections dealing with rioting, deterring public servants from discharging duty, mischief, criminal intimidation and common intention.
The central agency had complained that its allegations warranted more serious charges, like attempt to murder.
The agency had submitted a prayer before Calcutta High Court and sought its intervention. The case has yet to be heard.
On Friday, the Bengal police said it wanted to add two more IPC sections — 325 and 333.
“Based on the injury report (of the ED officers and media personnel), two sections of the IPC, 325 and 333, have been added to the case which was lodged by the ED,” said Joby Thomas K, superintendent of police, Basirhat police directorate.
Section 333 deals with the offense of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to a public servant in the discharge of his duty as a public servant, or with intent to prevent or deter that person or any other public servant from discharging his duty as a public servant. Section 325 deals with the punishment for voluntarily causing hurt.
The Bengal police have started three cases in connection with the Sandeshkhali incident. A senior police officer said ED officers have been sent multiple summons seeking information about the officers who were part of the raid. “But we have yet to receive any assistance,” said an officer.
The deputy superintendent of police, Basirhat, Sananda Goswami, on Friday visited the ED office in the CGO complex in Salt Lake to meet an officer of the rank of deputy director and to serve a summons on him. The summons had earlier been emailed thrice.
Goswami refused to comment on the day’s development. Sources in the ED said the officer concerned did not meet Goswami on Friday.