The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday seized properties worth close to ₹14 crore of Sheikh Shahjahan, his brothers and an aide as part of its probe into proceeds of alleged crimes of the suspended Trinamool leader in Sandeshkhali.

The properties of Shahjahan, his brothers Alamgir and Sirajuddin and his close aide Shib Prasad Hazra were seized under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), a senior ED official said.

"Most of these properties which include land parcels and waterbodies or bheries were allegedly made by grabbing land forcibly from a section of villagers. The bank accounts of the accused have also been frozen to prevent any further transaction," he said.

While Shahjahan is under judicial custody after the ED arrested him in March, his brother Alamgir was arrested by the CBI as a prime accused in the alleged attack on an ED team at Sandeshkhali on January 5. The state police arrested Shib Prasad in February along with his associate Uttam Sardar following a rape complaint of a woman in Sandeshkali.

Earlier in March, the ED had seized 14 properties of Shahjahan worth ₹12.78 crore from Sandeshkhali, Sarberia and Calcutta.

Shahjahan has been under the ED's glare ever since his alleged role in the multi-crore public distribution scam in Bengal surfaced. "The seized properties are proceeds of crime. We are trying to join the dots now...," the official said.

Earlier this month, the ED told a PMLA court in Calcutta that Shahjahan amassed ₹288 crore by grabbing land in Sandeshkhali.

Rape-bid complaint

A young homemaker, who is one of the alleged victims of physical atrocities in Sandeshkhali, filed a rape attempt complaint on Thursday against three goons.

Alleging the attempt took place late on Wednesday night, she said she failed to identify the trio "in the darkness". However, she accused two local Trinamool leaders of conspiracy, claiming that she heard them speaking over the phone with the trio who tried to rape her. She added that her child's cries foiled the plan of the trio who were forced to flee, but not before threatening her with dire consequences if she did not withdraw her earlier complaint.