3 ED officials grievously injured; mobile phones, laptop snatched by mob during raid in West Bengal

An Enforcement Directorate team was on Friday attacked and its vehicles damaged by a mob during a raid at the residence of a TMC leader in West Bengal, sparking a political firestorm and a fierce condemnation by Governor CV Ananda Bose who said the state is not a "banana republic."

New Delhi:The Enforcement Directorate said three of its officers suffered "grievous" injuries in a mob attack on its search team in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Friday and their belongings such as mobile phones and wallets were robbed. In an official statement issued late Friday, the federal agency said it has filed a complaint with the local police for registration of an FIR against the accused.

The ED team came under attack when they had gone to search the residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shajahan in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district in connection with a ration distribution scam. "ED officials while discharging their duties were badly attacked by the crowd (suspected to be instigated by Sheikh Shajahan and his associates). Three officers have suffered grievous injuries as the mob marched towards the ED officials with an intention to cause death," the agency said.

The injured officials are being treated at a hospital, it said. Other officers had to escape from the place without conducting the search to save their lives as the mob became "very violent" and even chased the officials so as to deter them from performing their official duty, it said. "The mob also snatched, robbed, stole the personal/official belongings of the ED officials such as their mobile phones, laptop, cash, wallets, etc."

"Accordingly, requisite complaint has been made to jurisdictional police for registration of FIR and necessary action against culprits," it said. As soon as the search team arrived at the residence of Sheikh Shajahan, the door was found locked from inside and he refused to open the door. The agency said its officers, with the assistance of CRPF personnel, were trying to get the door opened even by trying to contact the person concerned.

"His mobile location at that time indicated that he was inside this house. Thereafter, ED team was taken by surprise that within half an hour, a mob of around 800-1,000 persons started marching towards them with weapons in their hands such as lathis, stones, bricks, etc. and gheraoed the ED officials and CRPF personnel."

"Suddenly, they started attacking the ED officials and CRPF personnel and started pelting stones and brick at them and attacked the officers as well as the 27 CRPF personnel with lathis and by using physical force and also raising/shouting slogans against the ED officers," it said. The ED said the crowd also "badly" damaged vehicles that ferried the officers and security personnel.