Robots, sniffer dogs search Sandeshkhali, find 7 guns, bullets

KOLKATA: A day-long search by CBI, NSG and CRPF in Sandeshkhali’s Sarberia on Friday — employing robots and sniffer dogs — yielded five revolvers, two pistols, 348 bullets and cartridges and “incriminating documents”, CBI communication said. report in the evening.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) TMC dubbed the search “a political drama to coincide with Lok Sabha polls”. “They want to keep the Sandeshkhali issue alive. It is a planned conspiracy and drama to influence the voting process. Influence is being exerted directly from Delhi. Cops should be more careful,” party TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

A 10-member team of CBI, which is investigating the Jan 5 attack on ED officials, went to the Mallikpara residence of Abu Taleb Mollah, a relative of a gram panchayat member. “We had information that the items lost by ED officials during the search on Jan 5 may be hidden inside a house. We also had information that some incriminating documents may be found,” said a CBI official.

Mollah is the brother-in-law of Hafizul Khan, a senior TMC member of Sarberia-Agarhati gram panchayat. The family owns several houses in the area dotted with bheris (fish farm). During searches, officials stumbled upon arms buried under the ground inside a hut and NSG was contacted.

Before the NSG team reached the spot, CRPF jawans pushed media persons away and began searches using metal detectors. Apprehensive of a buried stockpile of bombs, they searched dried land in bheris.

The NSG team arrived around 3pm and deployed a bomb disposal robot. The robot, fitted with mechanised hands, fetched a large bag from the house, and placed it in a safe zone.

NSG officials found five revolvers, including a Colt Official Police and a foreign-made pistol. Apart from that, 348 cartridges of different calibres and bullets were found buried under the house. Officials also found some documents belonging to suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan.CBI officials said some crude bombs were recovered and handed over to the NSG team for disposal. According to sources, a comprehensive report will be sent to the Union home ministry soon.

Meanwhile, Bengal govt moved SC challenging Calcutta HC’s April 10 order for a CBI probe into allegations of land-grabbing and sexual assault in Sandeshkhali. The matter will be heard on April 29.