National Security Guard’s Bomb Disposal Squad was also called in to the spot and crude bombs were diffused in the area today.
The CBI, in the Calcutta High Court-monitored probe, is already investigating an attack on the ED team by a mob allegedly instigated by Sheikh and all the land grab and torture on women related cases.
The CBI team conducted searches at the residences of an associate of Sheikh, following a tip off.
“During investigation of the ED attack case, information was received that the items lost by the ED team and other incriminating articles may be hidden at the residence of an associate of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali. Accordingly, the CBI team along with CRPF personnel searched two premises at Sandeshkhali village today,” the central agency said in a statement.
Several teams of CBI officials, with support from West Bengal Police, and central forces, including the NSG, conducted the search operations. During searches, the CBI recovered a huge number of arms and ammunitions, including three foreign- made revolvers, one Indian revolver, one colt official police revolver, a foreign-made pistol, 120 nine mm bullets and a huge number of cartridges were also recovered. “Many incriminating documents related to Sheikh Shahjahan have also been recovered. Some items suspected to be country-made bombs have also been recovered which are being handled and disposed of by the teams from NSG,” a CBI statement said. An automated robot was brought in by the NSG during bomb disposal and the locality was evacuated, people in the know said. The premises were cordoned off by the security forces, amid water bodies and fisheries used for fish farming which are predominant in the region. Sheikh was arrested by the West Bengal Police on February 29 in connection with the attack by around 1,000 people, in which three ED officials were injured.Amid the political mudslinging, Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh said, “There may be a conspiracy behind this. If arms have entered Sandeshkhali, it may be to malign us, or create a drama.”
“NSG commandos are recovering foreign arms from Sandeshkhali. This state has turned into a box of explosives. We have seen CBI, ED, NIA and now it is NSG,” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said.
