Key Witness Against TMC Strongman Shahjahan Injured, Two Dead; Survivor Alleges Murder Plot

Kolkata: A key witness against Sandeshkhali Trinamul Congress strongman Shahjahan Sheikh, accused of masterminding the violent mob attack on an Enforcement Directorate team to foil its raid at his house in January last year, was injured in a road accident while traveling in his car to attend a court hearing on Wednesday.

His son and car driver however died in the mishap. The survivor, Bhola Ghosh, later called the accident “pre-planned” to eliminate him. Taking Basanti Highway in South 24 Parganas, he was on way to Basirhat Court in North 24 Parganas in the morning to depose in the case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

His younger son Satyajit and driver Shahnur Mollah were also with him. A lorry was coming from the opposite direction then. It “suspiciously” dashed their car from the left side near Bayarmari petrol pump while heading for Malancha. The two vehicles rolled down into a fishery. Satyajit, sitting on the front, was found dead at the spot with Shahnur.

Mr Ghosh survived with injuries as he was in the rear seat. Villagers rescued him and rushed him to hospital. The lorry driver had a miraculous escape. Bishwajit Ghosh, the elder son of the witness, claimed that Shahjahan hatched the plot from behind bars in jail custody. He also named two aides of Shahjahan, Sabita Roy and Moslem Sheikh, for executing the plot.

While Sabita is TMC-run Nyajat Panchayat Samity president, Moslem is the vice president. Bishwajit said, “Since my father became the witness in the case, we were getting constant threats.” He pointed out that the lorry driver was from Sandeshkhali and known to Shahjahan.