Two men were arrested on Sunday in connection with the assault on officers of the Enforcement Directorate who went to raid the house of Trinamul Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali in North 24-Parganas on January 5 in connection with the public distribution system scam.
Altogether, four men have been arrested for the assault, but Shahjahan, the alleged mastermind is still at large.
The two who were arrested on Sunday have been identified as Sanjay Mondal, 45, and Ali Hossain Gharami, 28.
Sources in the police said the arrests were made in the early hours based on statements of the two who had been rounded up on Friday — Mehebur Mollah and Sukomal Sardar.
“Gharami is from Minakhan and Mondal is from Sandeshkhali. Their faces were not visible in any of the footage related to the incident that we have come across. But after talking to the two men who were arrested on Friday and checking the electronic evidence, we could confirm that Gharami and Mondal were at the spot when the ED officers were being assaulted,” said an officer in the Basirhat police directorate.
A team of ED officers, accompanied by central forces, had gone to raid the house of Shahjahan in connection with the alleged irregularities in the public distribution system when they were attacked by a mob, forcing the central agency officers to flee.
The police said Shahjahan has been absconding since then.
The police have started three cases in connection with the incident. One of the cases has been registered against ED officers following a complaint lodged by family members of Shahjahan.
The ED officers have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections related to house trespass, outrage of modesty, mischief, theft and common intention.
The Bengal police have started a case suo motu against unknown persons for the assault on the ED officers and journalists who accompanied them.
The third case has been drawn up based on the complaint of the ED against Shahjahan Sheikh and his alleged associates.
The four persons whom the Bengal police arrested till Sunday have been picked up in connection with the third case.
Gharami and Mondal were produced in a court on Sunday and remanded in judicialcustody.
