Police revolver, foreign-made guns seized by CBI in Sandeshkhali raids

New Delhi/Kolkata: The CBI on Friday seized arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms, during searches at two premises of an associate of now-suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, officials said.

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, who was arrested by the West Bengal Police on February 29 in the case.

Teams of the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI), the bomb detection squad, the National Security Guard (NSG), the central paramilitary forces and the West Bengal Police were part of the searches at the village -- a riverine delta -- on the fringes of the Sunderbans in North 24 Parganas district.

The recovery of firearms led to an exchange of accusations between the TMC and the BJP, with the ruling party claiming the BJP was scheming to undermine the state government during the current Lok Sabha elections, while the BJP retaliated by accusing the TMC of colluding with "anti-national forces".

"During the investigation of this 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, North 24 Parganas. Accordingly, the team of the CBI along with CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel searched two premises at Sandeshkhali today," a CBI statement said.

The swift operation resulted in the seizure of a huge cache of small arms and ammunition, and these included foreign-made firearms.

During the searches, the CBI seized three foreign-made revolvers and one foreign-made pistol, one Indian revolver, one Colt official issue police revolver, one country-made pistol, 120 nine mm bullets, 50 cartridges of .45 calibre, 120 nine mm cartridges, 50 cartridges of .380 and eight cartridges of .32, the statement said.

"Besides, many incriminating documents related to Shajahan have also been found. Some items, suspected to be country-made bombs, have also been seized and those are being handled and disposed of by the teams of the NSG," it said.

As officials spread across Sandeshkhali to search targeted locations, NSG units had the responsibility for detecting and handling explosives found during the operation, the officials said.

Earlier in the day, sources said that five teams of CBI officials, with support from the West Bengal Police, the central forces and the NSG, searched a house in Sarberia.

"We had received specific information regarding the stockpiling of this huge cache of arms and ammunition, and explosives. Explosives stacked inside boxes have also been found," a source told PTI.

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

The house, which was cordoned off by security forces, was built amid water bodies used for fish farming. Central forces used metal detectors outside the house to check whether more arms and ammunition were buried. A robotic device was also deployed for the purpose.

The TMC alleged that the saffron camp was orchestrating a plot to discredit the state during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

"We don't know what has been recovered or not. Whatever the CBI is saying, we doubt it. The matter should be probed properly. It can be a sinister ploy by the BJP to malign us during elections. It can be a well-designed campaign by the BJP," TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.

The BJP was quick to hit back, accusing the TMC of shielding terrorists and having a tacit understanding with anti-national elements.

Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya said the arms haul is nothing but an act of terror.

"The CBI, during the raid, in connection with the attack on ED officials, recovered a huge amount of arms and ammunition from Sariberia, in Sandeshkhali. Mamata Banerjee, as Home Minister of West Bengal, must explain why the state is seeing a huge stockpile of illegal weapons," he posted on X.

"It is dangerous. NSG has been deployed but WB Govt has approached the Supreme Court to preclude the CBI from investigating the matter," he said wondering why Mamata Banerjee is trying to "protect terrorists" who have stocked firearms in such large quantities.

BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said TMC's appeasement politics has led to "anti-national elements" having a free run in the state.

The searches were launched in connection with the three FIRs that the CBI had registered related to the attack on the team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Sandeshkhali on January 5 when it had gone to raid the premises of Sheikh in connection with an alleged ration scam.

On the orders of the Calcutta High Court, the central agency had registered three FIRs related to the incidents on January 5.

The FIRs pertain to the alleged attack on ED officers by a mob on the complaint by officers, allegations against ED officials levelled by the guard of suspended TMC leader Sheikh and a suo motu case registered by the Nazat police station about the attack on ED officers.

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