West Bengal governor asks state officials to brief him on ration scam probe
This was after an Enforcement Directorate team was assaulted in the North 24 Parganas district when it was conducting raids in connection with the case.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has asked senior state government officers, including Chief Secretary BP Gopalika, Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty and Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar, to brief him about the alleged ration scam, PTI reported.
“The governor has asked the chief secretary, home secretary and DGP to brief him about the proceedings on the ration scam,” an unidentified official told PTI. “He will also ask them to give them details about the development in arresting the accused TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh.”
On January 5, an Enforcement Directorate team was assaulted in the Sandeshkhali village in the North 24 Parganas district when it was conducting raids in connection with the alleged ration distribution scam. The agency’s officials arrived at the home of Trinamool Congress Shahjahan Sheikh, after which a mob allegedly attacked them with stones, bricks and batons.
After the incident, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court remarked that “jungle raj” was prevailing in West Bengal, and said that the Enforcement Directorate could draw the attention of the governor to the law and order situation in the state.
On Tuesday, the director of the Enforcement Directorate met the governor.
The agency has lodged a complaint with the Nazat police station in connection with the assault. Sheikh’s family has also filed a complaint against the central agency.
The Bhartiya Janata Party has demanded an inquiry into the attack on the officials of the agency and called for the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.