The conflict surrounding the attacks on ED teams in Bengal intensified Monday, with the central agency contending that the state police FIR only registered bailable and non-scheduled offences in the January 5 Sandeshkhali assault. ED alleged that its complaint to police had cited multiple non-bailable penal sections, including attempt to murder and rioting, but these charges were omitted.

On January 5, a mob of around 200 villagers from Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district attacked and wounded three ED officials when the central agency, along with a posse of CRPF men, went to search the house of local Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan as part of an investigation into the alleged Rs 550-crore ration scam.

Sandeshkhali was one of 18 places visited by ED teams on that day as part of their probe. ED faced a similar hostile situation when its team visited the premises of TMC leader Shankar Adhya in the Simultala area of Bongaon. The agency claimed they had not been given copies of FIRs in both cases. Bengal police, however, refuted ED’s claims, asserting that ED’s allegations were baseless. Basirhat SP Joby Thomas said a suo motu case had been lodged even before the ED’s complaint, and police were conducting a preliminary inquiry.

“We have approached CRPF for their statements. They have not given any yet. All complaints will be dealt with. There was a mob of around 2,000-3,000 people. We need to find those responsible,” Thomas said. A senior Bongaon police officer countered ED’s accusations, saying that an adequate number of personnel were deployed during the search. “A police team, led by Bongaon OC, guarded the ED officials. No untoward incident was reported. Could they have conducted the search for 17 hours if there was no adequate police protection?”

The money laundering probe by ED relates to alleged irregularities in the public distribution system in Bengal. The agency had arrested TMC leader Jyotipriya Mallick and his aide Bakibur Rahaman last year in connection with this case.