Kolkata, Jan 5 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) team, which went to conduct raid and search operations at the residence of a Trinamool Congress leader on Friday at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, was attacked and the windowpanes of the central agency's cars were smashed.

On Friday, the ED sleuths and armed personnel of Central Armed Police Forces reached the residence of local Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Sajahan, who is also a ration dealer by profession and tried to enter the premises, but were surrounded by a large number of people protesting against the central agency's operation.

The entrance door of the house was locked, and as the ED sleuths tried to break open that lock ignoring the protesting crowd, some more people assembled and tried to physically resist the ED sleuths as well as the central forces personnel.

As the number of local people far outnumbered the central agency and central forces personnel, they decided to get out of the scene for the time being. However, even after that protesting local people started chasing the central agency sleuths with bamboo sticks, bricks and stones.

Even the glass windows of some of the vehicles of ED were smashed. Till the time the report was filed, major tension prevailed in the area. The ED sleuths have also filed a complaint at the local police station.

Another team of central agency sleuths raided the residence of the in-laws of the former chairman of Bangaon Municipality also in North 24 Parganas district Shankar Adhya.

Both Sajahan and Adhya are known to be close confidants of former West Bengal food & supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick, who was arrested by ED in October last year in connection with the ration distribution case.

A third team of ED officials has been conducting raids since Friday morning at the residence of a chartered accountant at Bijoygarh in South Kolkata.