3 foreign-made revolvers, 120 9mm bullets & more: What CBI recovered in Bengal's Sandeshkhali raid
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday carried out a raid at a residence in Sandeshkali, West Bengal. This operation was conducted in relation to the assault on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that occurred on January 5.
FollowThe Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday carried out a raid at a residence in Sandeshkali, West Bengal. This operation was conducted in relation to the assault on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that occurred on January 5. The ED officials were targeted while en route to conduct a raid at the residence of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who is presently in custody.
A 10-member team from the CBI conducted a raid at a house located in Sandeshkhali's Sarberia area. This residence belongs to Abu Taleb, who is a relative of Hafizul Khan, a local Trinamool Congress leader closely associated with Sheikh Shahjahan.
During the operation, the CBI recovered a variety of firearms, including foreign-made Postal & Revolvers, alongside a range of cartridges. The recovered items include:
- 3 foreign-made Revolvers
- 1 Indian Revolver
- 1 Colt Official Police Revolver
- 1 Foreign-made Pistol
- 1 country-made Pistol
- 120 9 mm bullets
- 50 .45 calibre cartridges
- 120 9 mm calibre cartridges
- 50 .380 cartridges
- 8 .32 cartridges
Moreover, the search led to the discovery of numerous incriminating documents associated with SK Shahjahan. Additionally, items suspected to be country-made bombs were found, prompting the involvement of bomb disposal teams from the National Security Guard (NSG) for safe handling and disposal.
Acting on a tip-off, the investigating officers reached the location and brought along a bomb scanning device to aid in locating explosives. As of now, the raid is still in progress.
The raid has sparked political debate, with leaders from various parties offering differing perspectives. The leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, criticized the state government's handling of the situation, questioning which security force would intervene next in Sandeshkhali.
"ED, CBI, NIA, NSG. What Next in Sandeshkhali? Army?" asked Adhikari.
He slammed the Chief Minister and said, "Mamata Banerjee has lost the moral authority to continue as the Chief Minister of West Bengal after fostering terrorists like Shahjahan Sheikh."
Meanwhile, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh raised concerns about the possibility of planted arms by political rivals, emphasizing the need for thorough investigation and accountability.
"Till now, we have not seen any arms. The sources are saying that the CBI has recovered some arms there. However, the CBI has not briefed anything officially...It is possible that our rivals or some political parties have planted arms. The police should have been alert," said Ghosh.
Sheikh Shahjahan, a former prominent figure within the Trinamool Congress, was apprehended on February 29 after eluding authorities for 55 days. His arrest was linked to his involvement in the attack on the ED team. Notably, his apprehension occurred just three days subsequent to the Calcutta High Court's reprimand of the state police for their delay in taking action against him, emphasizing the necessity of his arrest.
Following his apprehension, custody of Sheikh Shahjahan was transferred from the West Bengal Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Moreover, Sheikh Shahjahan faces allegations of sexual violence and land appropriation from multiple women in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali area.
