The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday ordered that a Special Investigation Team be formed to investigate the attack on an Enforcement Directorate team in the North 24 Parganas district earlier this month, reported Bar and Bench.

On January 5, officials of the Enforcement Directorate were assaulted in the Sandeshkhali village in the North 24 Parganas district when they were carrying out raids in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam. A mob allegedly attacked them with stones, bricks and batons when they had arrived at the home of Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh.

On Wednesday, the court was hearing a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate demanding that the Central Bureau of Investigation should look into the attack on its officers.

Justice Jay Sengupta ordered that a Special Investigation Team, comprising officers from the West Bengal Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation, should carry out an inquiry into the incident.

“Both the CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] and state will have equal number of personnel in the SIT, which shall be at liberty to requisition central forces,” the court said. “The SIT [Special Investigation Team] to submit its report before this court by February 12.”

On January 5, the Enforcement Directorate had said that three of its officials suffered serious injuries and were hospitalised. The attack took place in the presence of Central Reserve Police Force personnel.

A day after the attacks, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the High Court had remarked that “jungle raj” was prevailing in West Bengal, and said that the Enforcement Directorate could draw the attention of Governor CV Ananda Bose to the law and order situation in the state.

The Enforcement Directorate has also filed a plea seeking quashing of a first information report against its officials in the North 24 Parganas district, reported The Indian Express. Last week, the court had ordered an interim stay on the proceedings in the case until March 31.