The village of Sandeshkhali in the great Sunderbans delta has since January been in ferment: raids by a controversial central agency, violence, accusations by women of sexual exploitation by local members of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and a political faceoff between the TMC and India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

On 5 January 2024, officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED)—frequently criticised for being partisan, an accusation borne out by data—were attacked violently by supporters of a Trinamool leader named Shahjahan Sheikh, when they tried to raid his house at Sandeshkhali to investigate an alleged ration scam.

The mob of over 1,000, mostly women, injured three ED officials, set their vehicles ablaze and allegedly looted their personal belongings such as laptops, mobiles and wallets. Media covering the incident were also attacked (the same day, a second ED team was also attacked during the arrest of another TMC leader, Shankar Adhya, in North 24 Parganas’s Bongaon).

Sandeshkhali has since been in ferment, with allegations surfacing of systematic sexual exploitation of women by Sheikh, who fled the area, and other Trinamool leaders. Women with broomsticks and kitchen utensils protested on the streets and properties of Trinamool leaders were set afire, about a month after many locals attacked the ED.

The West Bengal police have called the allegations of sexual exploitation “wilful misinformation”. The state governor, also accused of being partisan, visited the area, and BJP workers clashed with police on 14 February.

These attacks on the ED coincide with its investigations, along with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), into alleged corruption among high-profile TMC politicians. Despite similar actions by the agencies in other opposition-ruled states, such attacks during a raid have not been seen elsewhere.

Political violence in West Bengal is common, and these attacks are rooted in the state’s socio-political fabric, as many have observed (here, here and here).


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