With these arrests, the number of people nabbed by the cbi in the case has increased to 14. The agency suspects that these people were allegedly part of the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on january 5 and instigated a crowd to target the team when they went to raid the premises of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali in West bengal, they said. Sheikh was arrested on february 29 after 55 days on the run following violent protests led by women, alleging sexual atrocities and land grab. He went missing after a mob attacked the ED team that went to search his house in an alleged ration distribution scam. The state CID took over the investigation into the allegations against him. He was later handed over to the cbi on an order of the calcutta High Court.

On march 10, the court sent him to cbi custody for four days which was later extended by another eight days till march 22. The cbi has taken over the investigation in three cases related to incidents on january 5, when the ED team was attacked by an around 1,000-strong mob. A former state minister has been arrested in the ration scam case. Sheikh was arrested by the state police on february 29, a day after the high court ordered that the cbi, ED or the West bengal police could arrest him.