Kolkata, March 23 (IANS): Frequent overseas trips made between 2014 and 2021 by suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who is the alleged mastermind of the attack on an ED team in Sandeshkhali, are currently under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Sources said that what is keeping the CBI sleuths intrigued is how Shahjahan managed to get his passport renewed after 2019 when he was facing several serious charges.

They said that following interrogations of Shahjahan and his associates including his younger brother Shiekh Alamgir, the CBI sleuths got some clues that Shahjahan's frequent overseas trips under the "garb of networking for his fish exports business were actually meant for making arrangements abroad for parking ill-gotten proceeds in the multi-crore ration distribution cases".

As the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is handling the investigation in the money laundering part of the ration distribution case, the CBI sleuths are sharing with them whatever information is being secured on this count through interrogation, the sources added.

They further said that in the course of the interrogation of Alamgir, names of some more politically influential individuals involved in the ration distribution case have emerged. The CBI sleuths are considering sending some of them notices for interrogation in the coming days.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Calcutta High Court's single judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta vehemently criticized the state police for not mentioning the name of Shahjahan in the chargesheet in an old case of the murder of a BJP worker.

Justice Sengupta also directed the state police to give a written explanation to the court by April 1 on why despite being the prime accused in the case, Shahjahan's name was not included in the chargesheet.