'800-1000 mob intended to cause death': Enforcement Directorate on Bengal attack

In a shocking incident, the ED officials were attacked, beaten up and forced to flee, abandoning their raids by a section of activists from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas.

The TMC activists reportedly have allegiance to Shahjahan Sheikh, a block-level leader of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas on Friday.

The agency said three of its officials were severely injured and that people in the mob robbed its personnel of their belongings, including mobile phones, wallets and laptops.

On one of the premises, the ED team with CRPF personnel was attacked by 800-1000 people "with an intention to cause death as these people were carrying weapons such as lathis, stones and bricks".

The injured ED officials are treated in a hospital for treatment.

While the Trinamool Congress called the incident "a BJP conspiracy" and claimed "unruly elements attached with the central agencies provoked locals", the BJP has called the continuance of the ruling party's government in the state "a threat to national security."

The agency said Sheikh refused to unlock the door and while the team was trying to get it open, the mob gathered within half an hour. It alleged that stones were also thrown at the personnel.

The ED, probing the alleged statutory ration distribution scam following a Calcutta High Court order, went early on Friday to raid the house of Shahjahan Sheikh at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas.

The ED officials, after finding the collapsible gates of the TMC leader's house locked from inside, tried to break it open.

Seeing the ED officials, who were escorted by the Central armed forces, were trying to break open the locks, the TMC activists immediately attacked the central investigation officials, who finally abandoned the raid for their safety.

The ED officials said they were safe and abandoned the raid for fear of being attacked.

The probe agency has been raiding the premises of two block-level leaders and their relatives since Friday morning, they said.

Aiming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, who is the leader of the opposition in West Bengal, posted on X, "Due to Mamata Banerjee's assurance and encouragement, criminals like Sheikh Shahjahan have assembled Rohingya to work as his henchmen and establish a reign of terror." 

Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose also condemned the attack and said, "It is a ghastly incident. It is alarming and deplorable. It is the duty of a civilised government to stop barbarism and vandalism in a democracy. If a government fails in its basic duty, then the Constitution of India will take its course."

Kolkata Press Club condemns the attack

Kolkata Press Club condemned the attack on the media personnel during the episode.
"The media was attacked on Friday morning while collecting news of the central agency's search at the house of a local political leader in Sarberia of North 24 Parganas. A group of miscreants attacked to obstruct their work. Journalists were beaten on the street," the Press Club said in a statement, condemning the attack.

"The job of journalists is to gather news. It is their constitutional right. No one has the right to launch an attack on them to prevent that work. Press Club Kolkata is determined to continue the fight to protect the rights of journalists," it said.