NIA arrests local TMC leader’s son Namit Singh in bomb recovery case: Police

The bombs were recovered from a spot near BJP MP Arun Singh’s residence on March 12. He alleged that there was TMC conspiracy to attack him and members of his family.

KOLKATA: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested the son of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader at Jagaddal in Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district in connection with the recovery of 45 crude bombs outside the residence of the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member Arjun Singh in March this year, district police officers said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a TMC leader’s son Namit Singh in the case connected to the recovery of 45 crude bombs found outside BJP MP Arjun Singh’s house. (ANI File Photo/Representative Image)

The suspect, Namit Singh, is the son of Sunita Singh, the TMC councillor from Ward No 8 of Jagaddal municipality which comes under the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat. Arjun Singh won the Barrackpore seat in 2019 after leaving the TMC.

The bombs were recovered from a spot near Arun Singh’s residence on March 12. He alleged that a conspiracy was hatched by the ruling party to attack him and members of his family.

The case was being probed by the local police till the NIA took over the investigation earlier this month, he said.

“A five-member team of the NIA arrested Namit Singh after questioning him for hours,” an officer from the Jagaddal police station said on condition of anonymity.

Somnath Shyam, the TMC legislator from Jagaddal, alleged that the NIA was working under instructions from the BJP MP.

Shyam said: “Some of Arjun Singh’s followers showed the local police where the bombs were kept. Should we conclude that BJP workers planted the bombs to frame Sunita Singh and her son? Arjun Singh named Namit as the suspect in front of the media and said he will ask the NIA to probe the case. We will fight it out in court.”

Arjun Singh contended that he did not influence the NIA in any way.

“I did not accuse anyone. I only said if the NIA can nab hardcore terrorists then it can easily catch a small fry who kept the bombs. I thank the NIA,” the MP said.