Calcutta HC rejects Trinamool Leader's anticipatory bail plea in Ration Scam Case

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan in connection with a ration distribution scam case.

Sheikh Shahjahan had approached the High Court after a lower court rejected his anticipatory bail application. The decision was delivered by a division bench of Justice Debanshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi.

Advocate Sabyasachi Banerjee, representing the Sandeshkhali strongman, argued that the charges against his client were unclear and that he was not named in the FIR filed on December 12, 2023. He added that while Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials raided Shahjahan’s residence on multiple occasions, nothing incriminating was found.

Banerjee further argued that Shahjahan was only summoned based on the statement of another accused, Jyotipriyo Mallick, a former food minister.

However, ED's lawyer, Dheeraj Trivedi, countered that Mallick had named Shahjahan in a written statement and that the latter was uncooperative with investigators. Trivedi added that Sheikh did not respond to summons after the raid on his residence and that ED officials faced attacks during the raid.

The Calcutta High Court, after hearing both sides, concluded that there were no deficiencies in the ED investigation based on the documents presented. Consequently, the court rejected Shahjahan's anticipatory bail plea.