The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed that the CBI be handed over the case of attack on ED officials at Sandeshkhali and the custody of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, as it slammed West Bengal Police for “totally biased” conduct and said every attempt is being made to delay the probe to “protect” the accused.
The CBI took over the probe by registering an FIR after the High Court ordered that its directions be complied with by 4.30 pm on Tuesday. However, the West Bengal government moved the Supreme Court challenging the order and the state police refused to hand over Sheikh to the CBI team, which went to CID headquarters at Bhawani Bhawan and returned at 7.30 pm after waiting for more than two hours.
“We have not handed him over to CBI as the state government has moved the Supreme Court,” a CID official said.
In the Supreme Court, the matter was mentioned before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the West Bengal government. The bench refused an urgent listing of the plea and asked Singhvi to mention the matter before the Registrar General of the top court.