West Bengal ED officials attack: BJP's plea for urgent hearing denied by Calcutta High Court

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court today refused an urgent hearing to a public interest litigation filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding a probe by the NIA or a CBI into the attack on the officials of the Enforcement Directorate in Sandeshkhali of West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Friday, according to reports.

Apart from a probe by the National Investigation Agency or the Central Investigation Agency, the Bharatiya Janata Party has also demanded the arrest of absconding TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who allegedly masterminded the attack on the ED officials.

However, the division bench of of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya, has posted the case for hearing on Thursday.

Earlier, speaking on the violence unleashed in West Bengal on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials by Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Sajahan's aides and men West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose had warned, "West Bengal is not a banana republic (...) If a government fails in its basic duty, then the Constitution of India will take its course. I reserve all my constitutional options for appropriate action."

TMC politician Sheikh Sahajan's supporters assaulted the ED officials and vandalized their vehicle as they went to raid his house in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.

The agency is said to have been conducting raids in 15 places in Bengal; out of which Sahajan's house was one of the locations.

While the BJP's West Bengal wing has asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for an NIA probe into the incident, the Governor warned of repercussions as provided for in the Constitution.