Bengal govt moves SC as CBI approaches to take over ED attack case

The West Bengal government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court challenging an order of the Calcutta high court to transfer the probe into an attack on Enforcement Directorate officials at Sandeshkhali on January 5 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The matter was mentioned before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the West Bengal government, seeking an urgent hearing.

The bench refused an urgent listing of the plea and asked Singhvi to mention the matter before the Registrar General of the top court.

Meanwhile, the CBI has approached West Bengal Police to take over the investigation into the case following the HC order, officials said in Kolkata.

The agency team also reached the CID office in Kolkata with paramilitary forces to take custody of Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh, who was arrested by the state police on February 29 in connection with the attack.

Earlier in the day, a high court bench headed by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam had directed that the probe in the attack case be transferred to the CBI and the custody of Sheikh be handed over to the central agency by 4.30 pm on Tuesday.

Both the ED and the West Bengal government moved separate appeals in the high court challenging the single bench order which on January 17 ordered the formation of a joint special investigation team (SIT) of the CBI and the state police to probe the mob attack on the ED officials.

While the ED wanted the probe to be transferred to the CBI only, the state prayed that the investigation be given to its police.

The high court, while agreeing to ED's request, also directed that the custody of Sheikh be handed over to the central agency.