CBI arrests Abul Hossen Molla, the leader of the Sandeshkhali mob attack on ED agents

Abul Hossen Molla, accused of leading a violent assault on ED officers in Sandeshkhali, was arrested by CBI after ignoring repeated summons

PGurus Newsdesk

November 26, 2025

Agency calls arrest a major breakthrough in obstruction of federal probe

Sandeshkhali violence: CBI holds key instigator

The CBI arrested Abul Hossen Molla, also known by the alias Duronto, in connection with the violent attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, on January 5, 2024. Officials confirmed the arrest on Wednesday.

According to investigators, a charged mob had assaulted the ED unit when it arrived to conduct a court-mandated raid at the residence of suspended Shahjahan Sheikh, a former Trinamool Congress leader, who was under investigation in a multi-layered ration distribution scam.

Officials said Molla had been detained at around 8:00 pm on Tuesday from the South 24 Parganas district after he repeatedly ignored summons, skipped interrogation despite formal notices, and remained elusive even after a non-bailable warrant was issued by a local court.

The CBI alleged that Molla had played a central role in orchestrating the assault, describing him as a “key instigator and ground commander” who led the attack on federal investigators and disrupted a critical anti-corruption probe.

Following public outrage and mounting legal scrutiny, the Calcutta High Court shifted the investigation from the West Bengal Police to the CBI on March 5, 2024, marking a turning point in the case and tightening the dragnet around the accused.

The arrest was later seen as a decisive breakthrough, signalling the agency’s renewed push to dismantle networks obstructing central investigations in high-stakes corruption cases.

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