On 10 December, a serious incident raised new tension in the long-running case from Sandeshkhali. Bholanath Ghosh, who is considered a key witness in the case against Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, was badly injured after what was described as a road “accident”.

He had been travelling to court to give important testimony when the crash took place. His younger son and the car’s driver died at the scene, turning what was supposed to be a routine legal appearance into a moment of deep loss and renewed fear for the family.

Relatives of the injured witness immediately stated that they do not believe this was an ordinary collision. According to them, the vehicle carrying Ghosh was struck by a ten-wheeler truck, and the driver of that truck fled right after the impact. They insist the timing, location, and manner of the crash point to a deliberate attempt to silence Ghosh before he could testify. Police officers said they are searching for the absconding driver, but the absence of clear footage from the area has further raised suspicion.

Among the first to speak publicly was Biswajit Ghosh, the elder brother of Bholanath. He directly accused people linked to Shahjahan of arranging the attack. In his statement, he said, “They had threatened to kill my father earlier. This is not an accident, 100% murder. Shahjahan’s order was carried out by Sabita Roy and Muslim Sheikh,” making it clear that the family views the event as an organised plot rather than an unfortunate mishap.

As these allegations spread online and in local discussions, police officials tried to address the growing concern by acknowledging the unusual nature of the crash. One officer said, “We are not sure if it was an accident. We are probing every angle. We are putting more emphasis on why the collision occurred where there is no CCTV coverage and how the driver fled the spot.” Their remarks showed that investigators accept the possibility that the witness may have been targeted.

This development comes at a time when Sheikh Shahjahan remains in custody over several major accusations. He was arrested by the state police on 29 February 2024, and later taken into custody by the CBI on 6 March 2024, in connection with an attack on an Enforcement Directorate team that visited Sandeshkhali in January the previous year. Shahjahan, who has long been seen as a close aide of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has faced a series of allegations, including land grabbing and the sexual exploitation of women in the area.

These allegations escalated after a large number of women in Sandeshkhali carried out intense protests in February last year. The women marched with brooms, sticks, and farm tools, blocking roads and demanding firm action against Shahjahan and two local TMC workers, Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar. They claimed that married Hindu women were taken by Shahjahan’s men based on their appearance and subjected to repeated abuse. Husbands who objected were threatened and beaten, and many said they were told they had no “right” over their own wives. Even though the Chief Minister initially dismissed these accounts, the pressure eventually led to the arrest of Shahjahan and others after days of intense public anger.

The accident involving Ghosh has added another layer of tension to these ongoing cases. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has continued its investigation into Shahjahan’s financial dealings. The ED has described his activities as part of a wider pattern of organised crime in Sandeshkhali, claiming he used fear, threats, and political influence to control land and local businesses. According to the ED’s prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Shahjahan built a criminal network involved in land grabbing, illegal fish farming, seizure of brick fields, cartel-based control of contracts, and the collection of unlawful taxes and commissions.

The ED says that political connections and armed associates helped Shahjahan maintain this system. Four people have already been arrested in the money laundering case: Shahjahan, his brother Sheikh Alamgir, and aides Shib Prasad Hazra and Didar Boksh Molla. More than 100 witnesses, including farmers, fish traders, landowners, tribals, and contractors, have given statements describing threats, extortion, and forced business dealings. Investigators have also attached assets worth Rs 27 crore, which include three SUVs — a Mahindra Thar, a Jeep Compass, and a Mahindra Scorpio — all linked to Shahjahan and his associates.

According to the ED, the total proceeds of crime generated through these activities amount to Rs 261.41 crore. These earnings reportedly came from fish depots, rent collected from the market known as Shahjahan Market, profits from brick kilns, and government tenders secured through pressure and influence. The agency’s report also traces Shahjahan’s rise over time. Around 2009–2010, when he was with the CPM, he allegedly seized 60–70 bighas of fishery land and started a business named Sk Sabina Fisheries. When he joined the Trinamool Congress in 2013, he became sub-pradhan of the Agarhati gram panchayat with support from influential party leaders such as Haji Nurul Islam and Jyotipriya Mallick.

Even as the ED notes that Shahjahan offered some community help in the form of medical camps, food supplies, and financial support, the chargesheet says he did so while maintaining a group of over 100 associates who threatened, assaulted, and extorted local residents. Some of these associates were said to possess illegal weapons and used them to pressure families who resisted.

Following his arrest in February 2024, the Trinamool Congress suspended him for six years. The ED has also detailed how fish harvested from grabbed land was sold only through Shahjahan’s firm, and how lands were leased under the names of associates such as Shib Prasad Hazra, with payments coming from illegally obtained funds.