Sandeshkhali Key Witness Survives Suspected Targeted Crash That Killed Son Amid Major Corruption Investigation

The truck driver abandoned the scene after the collision.

Kolkata:

A significant witness in the Sandeshkhali controversy cases in West Bengal has suffered serious injuries in a road accident that claimed the lives of his younger son and car driver.

Bholanath Ghosh, commonly known as Bhola Ghosh, was traveling to court when a truck violently collided with his vehicle near the Boyramari petrol pump in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday.

According to police reports, the high-speed truck struck the car, dragged it along the road, and forced it into a nearby water body. The truck stopped precariously at the edge of the water, and its driver fled immediately. The accident resulted in the deaths of Ghosh's 32-year-old son Satyajit Ghosh and the 27-year-old driver Sahanur Molla at the collision site.

"I was heading to Basirhat court. As we passed Boyarbari, a speeding truck coming from the opposite direction hit our car head-on. Police are investigating the incident. I suspect this was pre-planned, though that needs proper investigation," Ghosh alleged.

Ghosh suffered critical injuries and received initial treatment at a local hospital before being transferred to a private medical facility in Kolkata. The deceased victims' bodies were sent to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata for post-mortem examination.

Ghosh had been traveling to the Basirhat sub-divisional court regarding one of several cases filed against him by Sheikh Shahjahan, the imprisoned former Trinamool Congress leader central to the Sandeshkhali allegations.

Ghosh has been identified as a primary witness in the January 2024 attack on Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali and related CBI investigations implicating Shahjahan.

Ghosh's family believes the collision was deliberate. His elder son, Biswajit, claimed it was a calculated murder attempt orchestrated by Shahjahan from prison. Eyewitnesses reported that the truck was traveling in the opposite direction when it directly hit the car, crushing it before dragging it into the water.

This accident occurs amid ongoing legal proceedings involving Shahjahan, who remains detained following his arrest on multiple charges. The Enforcement Directorate's investigation into Shahjahan has uncovered allegations of organized crime in Sandeshkhali. Shahjahan and associates stand accused of creating a reign of terror through threats of violence, extortion, and illegal land acquisition for financial gain.

The ED's prosecution complaint, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a Kolkata special court, detailed how Shahjahan established a criminal enterprise focused on land grabbing, illegal fish farming, seizing brick fields, contract manipulation, and collecting illegal taxes and commissions on land transactions.

The investigation revealed Shahjahan used political influence and armed associates to control these activities throughout the Sandeshkhali region of North 24 Parganas.

Four individuals have been arrested in the money laundering case: Shahjahan, his brother Sheikh Alamgir, and associates Shib Prasad Hazra and Didar Boksh Molla.

Authorities have recorded statements from over 100 witnesses, including farmers, tribals, fish traders, landowners, and contractors. The ED seized assets worth Rs 27 crore connected to Shahjahan and others, including three luxury SUVs: a Mahindra Thar, a Jeep Compass, and a Mahindra Scorpio.

The agency estimated criminal proceeds at Rs 261.41 crore, derived from fish depots, market rents from "Shahjahan market," brick kilns, and government contracts awarded through Shahjahan's influence. The investigation traced Shahjahan's rise to power, noting that around 2009-2010, while affiliated with the CPM, he allegedly seized fisheries covering 60-70 bighas of land and established a business called Sk Sabina Fisheries.

He switched allegiance to the Trinamool Congress in 2013, becoming sub-pradhan in Agarhati gram panchayat with support from local leaders, including then Trinamool MP Haji Nurul Islam and minister Jyotipriya Mallick.

The ED chargesheet stated that while Shahjahan provided some community assistance through free medical services, financial aid, and provisions, he maintained a group exceeding 100 associates who intimidated and extorted local residents. Those who resisted faced violence and threats, with some associates carrying illegal firearms.

Following his February 2024 arrest, the Trinamool Congress suspended Shahjahan for six years. According to the chargesheet, the money laundering operation involved harvesting fish on illegally acquired land and forcing local vendors to conduct business through Shahjahan's firm. Lands were leased from farmers in the names of associates like Shib Prasad Hazra, with payments made using criminal proceeds.