The police application, based on which a Basirhat court remanded Shahjahan Sheikh to 10-day custody on Thursday, mentions the arrested Trinamul functionary of Sandeshkhali as the “mastermind” of the attack on a team from Enforcement Directorate on January 5 and says that it was he who led the assault on the central probe agency.

Mentioning Shahjahan, alias Sk Shahjahan, as the mastermind, the police remand application states, “He is the mastermind of this offence and not only obstructed the ED officials on duty but also assaulted (them) mercilessly using his influence, men, and muscle power as well robbed their official articles.”

The Trinamul North 24-Parganas zilla parishad functionary was absconding since the January 5 attack on ED officials. He was arrested late on Wednesday from a house in Minakha, about 30 km from Sandeshkhali, where his writ ran large on all matters of the administration and local business.

In the prayer submitted by Ganesh Sardar, a sub-inspector at Nazat police station, Shahjahan is mentioned as an influential person in the area and ran the risk of “absconding and threatening witnesses.”

The police claimed following his arrest by sub-inspector Pratap Sarkar of Nazat police station, he was interrogated and “confessed his guilt before the IO (Investigating Officer Sarkar) and also confessed his involvement in the instant case.”

Shahjahan was arrested after being on the run for almost 56 days. During this time, amid mounting allegations of his 'reign of terror", residents of Sandeshkhali, especially women, have come out in the street and held violent protests demanding his immediate arrest for alleged land grab, extortion and atrocities on women.