The CBI on Friday afternoon conducted a raid at the residence of a relative of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas District and seized a huge cache of firearms and explosives.
Sources said the CBI got a tip off about the cache of arms and crude bombs at the residence of Shahjahan’s relative Hafizul Khan, who is also an elected panchayat member from the ruling party.
Soon after getting the information, a CBI team escorted by personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces conducted the raid at the residence that was located within a pisciculture farm.
Till the time of filing of the report the CBI team was engaged in a search operation at the house.
It is suspected that the firearms, explosives and crude bombs were stocked there for use on polling day in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Sources said, following Shahjahan’s arrest and increased movement of different central agency sleuths and CAPF personnel at Sandeshkhali, those responsible for stocking the arms were unable to shift them.
Sandeshkhali comes under Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency, where the polls are scheduled to be held in the seventh and last phase on June 1.
Till the time the report was filed there was no comment from any Trinamool Congress leader on the matter.
