A palatial four-home cluster belonging to TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his three brothers was locked and abandoned on Saturday, shattered glass from Enforcement Directorate vehicles the only reminder of the chaos that ensued in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali village a day earlier.
On Friday, when an ED team went to conduct searches at Shahjahan’s home in North 24 Parganas district, in connection with an alleged ration scam casethey were attacked by a mob of hundredswho also manhandled accompanying CRPF personnel. The agency said three of its officers sustained serious injuries.
Speaking to The Indian Expresslocals recounted how it took just 30 minutes for almost 1,000 loyalists to gather near the home of the TMC leader.
“It was around 6.30 am when the ED team arrived at the house. There were central force jawans too. I saw three vehicles. Three of the four homes belonging to the Sheikh brothers were locked from the inside, and one from the outside,” said a neighbour who did not wish to be identified.
“As they failed to get any response, two jawans tried to break open a collapsible gate. A small crowd had already started to gather nearby, but this grew to nearly a thousand people within the next 30 minutes, many from nearby villages,” he said. “Had there been an attempt to arrest bhai (Shahjahan) yesterday, there could have been blood and mayhem. He’s not just a political leader; he’s the final word here, he employs thousands.”
The men and women who poured in were from Akunjipara, Sarberiya, Rajbari, Dhamakhali and some other parts of Sandeshkhali. “They came in toto (e-rickshaws), autorickshaws, motorbikes,” said Mohabbat Sheikh, a neighbour.
Locals said the crowd included local TMC leaders, panchayat members and workers. They were chanting slogans against the ED and in support of Shahjahan.
“Trouble started a little after 7 am when, with women in the front, the crowd started marching towards the ED team and the jawans, who requested them with folded hands to keep calm. I saw some youths grab ED officers by their collar. They were dragged to a garden area outside the house. I saw one of them pinned to the ground, being beaten up,” said another local who, like many others, wished to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions.
According to locals, it was then that youths with bamboo poles, iron rods and sticks were seen in the crowd.“This was around 7.30 am… I saw an ED officer pushed against a tree,” said Ibrahim, a resident.
Locals said that around 7.45 am, an ED official could be seen bleeding from their head, and a CRPF jawan used his handkerchief to seal the wound.
As the team started to retreat in their vehicles, the cars were pelted with stones, locals said, adding that a section of the crowd tried blocking the road towards Kolkata using burning tyres.
“It was by 8.30 am that police from Nyazat and Sandeshkhali police outposts arrived. Around 10 am, the police superintendent of Basirhat police district came with a large police force, but everything was over by then,” said Abibur Akunji, a local.
Meanwhile, four ED officers who were left behind got into an autorickshaw to head to Kolkata, and were later picked up in a vehicle by central forces.
TMC leader Sheikh Ashanur claimed, “Shahjahan is not one to flee; he would have been busy with some important work. On Friday, we repeatedly asked ED officials to give notice and bhai would appear, but they ignored our proposals and started lathicharge.”
On Saturday, police pickets had come up near the homes of Shahjahan and his brothers.
Around 5 km away, at “Sheikh Shahjahan market”, which was established in 2011, it was business as usual. Claimed a local CPM leader: “He (Shahjahan) is quite wealthy and has a large force of youths who he pays Rs 6,000-10,000 every month. They were all there yesterday.”
