Trinamul leader Shahjahan Sheikh had made more than 20 calls from two mobile phones to his supporters before a team of Enforcement Directorate officers reached Sandeshkhali in North 24-Parganas to raid his house on January 5, agency officials said on Monday.
The team had gone to raid the house in connection with a public distribution system scam.
“Two mobile phones of Shahjahan Sheikh were busy for a few minutes around the time when Enforcement Directorate officials were knocking on his door early on January 5. The calls were made to his supporters,” an ED official said.
A mob attacked the officials and CRPF personnel who were accompanying them after Shahjahan made the calls.
“We want to identify the persons whom Shahjahan had called on the morning of January 5 and have sought call details from the telecom service providers concerned,” said another ED official. “It is crucial to understand who these supporters are.”
Shahjahan, a karmadhyaksha in the North 24-Parganas zilla parishad, is under the ED scanner in connection with the public distribution system scam. He has allegedly been missing since January 5.
Enforcement Directorate officials went back to Sarberia village in Sandeshkhali, where Shahjahan’s house is located, on January 24 and pasted a summons on the wall asking the leader to be present at the agency’s office in Kolkata at 11am on January 29.
On Monday, the team waited for several hours but Shahjahan did not turn up.
“We are in the dark about Shahjahan’s whereabouts. He was supposed to meet the ED officials. But I have no clue why he didn’t turn up (at the agency’s office),” Shahjahan’s brother Sheikh Alamgir told reporters.
Later in the day, Shahjahan moved Bankshal court for anticipatory bail.
The police have started three cases in connection with the January 5 visit of the ED team and the subsequent attack on the officials.
One of the cases has been registered against Enforcement Directorate officers following a complaint lodged by family members of Shahjahan. The ED officers have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections related to house trespass, outrage of modesty, mischief, theft and common intention.
The Bengal police have suo motu started a case against unknown persons for the assault on the ED officers and the others who were accompanying them.
The third case has been drawn up based on a complaint lodged by the ED against Shahjahan and his associates.
“Since Shahjahan did not appear in response to the summons, we will possibly send a fresh one,” an ED official said.
Officials said some of the documents seized from Shahjahan’s house have thrown up pointers to where the leader has parked his money.
“Getting Shahjahan’s response about the source of this money is vital. So we need to question him,” an official said.