Trinamool moves poll body over Sandeshkhali raid: 'Weapons may have been planted'

The Trinamool Congress on Saturday approached the Election Commission against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Security Guard (NSG). The Mamata Banerjee-led party alleged the CBI conducted "unscrupulous raids at empty locations in the state on vote day (April 26)."

"Complaint against the CBI for carrying out an unscrupulous raid at an empty location in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, on poll day, to tarnish the image of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) during the ensuing Lok Sabha Elections, 2024," the complaint read.

"There is no way of knowing with certainty, as to whether these weapons were indeed recovered during the search and seizure procedure or whether they were surreptitiously planted by the CBI/NSG," it read.

"In this regard, it is stated that though 'law and order' is a domain falling completely within the ambit of the State Government, the CBI did not issue an actionable notice to the State Government and/or the police authorities before carrying out such a raid. Further, the State Police has a fully functional bomb disposal squad which could have assisted the entire operation, if the CBI indeed felt that a bomb squad was required during such a raid," it stated.

The development comes after the CBI on Friday seized arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms, from the premises of an associate of now-suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali.

The searches were conducted in connection with the January attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team by a mob that was allegedly instigated by Sheikh.

Sheikh was arrested by the West Bengal police on February 29.

The owner of the house, identified as Abu Taleb Mollah, is a relative of Sheikh, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying, adding it was not clear why such a huge cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives were stacked inside the house.

Later in the day, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said the Trinamool Congress should be declared a "terrorist organisation" and that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should be arrested.

Adhikari also said all weapons recovered were foreign.

"All the weapons found in Sandeshkhali are foreign. Explosives like RDX are used in horrific anti-national activities. All these weapons are used by international terrorists," Adhikari said.

"I demand to declare the Trinamool Congress as a terrorist organisation. This state is a paradise."

Further, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal assembly also alleged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was "fully responsible" for the Sandeshkhali incident.

"Mamata Banerjee is fully responsible for this incident, and I demand to arrest her," he said.