In a significant development in the Sandeshkhali ED attack case, West Bengal Police have arrested two senior women leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) with close ties to the prime accused, Sheikh Shahjahan. The arrests were made on Tuesday night from the Sonarpur/Narendrapur area in South 24 Parganas, near Kolkata.Bengali.
The arrested TMC leaders have been identified as Sabita Roy and Mithu Sardar. Sabita Roy serves as the president of the Basirhat organisational district TMC women’s wing and chairperson of Sandeshkhali-I Panchayat Samiti. Mithu Sardar is the president of Sandeshkhali-I Block TMC and holds the position of executive officer in the same panchayat samiti.
According to police, the two Trinamool leaders fled the area fearing arrest as soon as the new government’s strict police operation and crackdown began in the Sandeshkhali area. After tracking the location of mobile towers, the police of Sandeshkhali’s Nyajat police station and the local intelligence department conducted a surprise joint raid in the Narendrapur police station area of South 24 Parganas late on Tuesday night.
Sabita Roy and Mithu Sardar, who were hiding there, were arrested. The investigators will present the two leaders to the Basirhat Subdistrict Court under tight police security on Wednesday and apply for their custody.
Both are said to be close associates of Sheikh Shahjahan and were involved in the attack on the ED team. Their role in the attack is being investigated by the police.
The arrests relate to the violent incident on 5 January 2024, when Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, accompanied by central forces, visited Sheikh Shahjahan’s residence in Sandeshkhali as part of a probe into the multi-crore ration scam. A large mob attacked the ED team, injuring several officers. Slogans in support of Shahjahan were raised during the assault, which was described as pre-planned to obstruct the raid.
Police sources indicate that the two women leaders played a key role in mobilising the crowd and escalating the situation. They had been under investigation for some time. Acting on specific intelligence, Nazat Police Station officials conducted the operation and brought the duo to the police station for interrogation. Investigators are questioning them about the planning of the attack, involvement of others, and possible links to broader organised activities.
Additional allegations against the duo include their role in post-2021 Assembly election violence and creating unrest in the area.
This development comes amid ongoing probes into various cases linked to Sandeshkhali, including land grabbing, sexual harassment, and ration irregularities that rocked the state. Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested in February 2024 following massive protests by local women.
