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Kolkata:

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at residences of businessmen allegedly associated with missing Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh in connection with an old case of fraudulent land grab, a senior officer said.

Raids and search operations were started by the ED early Friday morning at five different places in and around the city including Howrah, Bijoygarh and Birati, he said.

“These raids are in connection with an old case of fraudulent land grab against Shajahan Sheikh and his associates. These people were involved in fish businesses with Shajahan. We are looking for a few specific documents”, the officer said.

The ECIR is generally filed by the ED as the case information report. It is similar to a first information report (FIR) in criminal cases, he explained.

ED officials accompanied by a huge number of central forces started searches at an address in Howrah’s Haldarpara at the residence of fish trader named Parthapratim Sengupta, the officer said.

Raids are underway at four places including the house of local businessman Arun Sengupta at Birati in North 24 Parganas district and at the residence of Arun Shome in the southern part of the city’s Bijoygarh area.

“These traders also are involved in export and import businesses with Shajahan. We are talking to them to find out the nature of their trading and how Shajahan was involved in it,” the officer said.

Meanwhile, the central probe agency on Friday issued fresh summons to Shajahan in connection with his alleged involvement in the multi-crore ration scam asking him to appear before its officers on February 29, an officer said.

This is the fourth summon issued by the ED to Shajahan who has skipped all the previous three summons.

On January 5, a team of ED officers were assaulted by a mob when they tried to enter the residence of Shajahan at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

Three ED officers were injured in the attack. The district police and Sheikh’s family members had lodged a complaint against the ED officers.

Shajahan has been on the run since then.

Sandeshkhali has been in the national news after local women alleged of being gang raped and forcible land grabs by Shajahan and his men, who are involved in fish business.

Police have till date arrested 18 people including two TMC leaders and a close aide of Shajahan. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)