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NIA team attacked in Bengal during probe related to blast at TMC leader’s house
Meanwhile, chief minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the NIA raid and alleged that it was the agency which led the attack and that the women were defending themselves
Kolkata: A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was allegedly attacked by a mob at East Midnapore in West Bengal early this morning when officials went there to investigate a 2022 blast case.
“One NIA team member suffered a minor injury and the agency’s official vehicle was also damaged as some miscreants in the crowd attacked them at Bhupatinagar,” the federal agency stated.
On December 3, 2022, an explosion took place at the a local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Rajkumar Manna’s house at Bhupatinagar in East Midnapore. Three persons, including Manna, and two-party workers Biswajit Gayen and Buddhadeb Manna were killed.
In March 2023 the Calcutta high court ordered an NIA probe into the incident, following which the agency began its investigation in June 2023. The NIA also sent summons to eight TMC workers and local leaders but they skipped the questioning twice.
“The federal agency went to Bhupatinagar to arrest two accused Manobrata Jana and Balai Chandra Maity. The duo was arrested after extensive searches in five locations. The duo had played a major role in manufacturing the bombs and triggering the explosion,” said an official.
The team was attacked early in the morning around 5:30am when officials were going to the Bhupatinagar police station with the arrested persons to complete the formalities, officials said. A mob tried to stop the team and pelted stones.
According to the official, the mob, comprised mostly women, sat on the road and stopped the NIA vehicle from taking the prisoners. They also pelted stones and damaged the vehicle. Following the incident, the agency lodged a complaint with the police.
“We have received a complaint from the NIA. Investigation is going on,” said an IPS officer from the district.
Both Jana and Maity are local TMC leaders. Jana and Maity were brought to Kolkata in the afternoon and will be produced before the special NIA court, said an official aware of the matter.
Meanwhile, chief minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the NIA raid and alleged that it was the agency which led the attack and that the women were defending themselves.
“Who led the attack? The women didn’t attack. It was the NIA which attacked. If someone enters a woman’s house after midnight and tortures them, what should the woman do? Are they supposed to sit wearing bangles? Will they not defend themselves and protect their dignity?” Banerjee said while addressing a Trinamool Congress rally at Balurghat in South Dinajpur district, where the general elections will be held in the second phase on April 26.
“If villagers see some strangers entering the village after midnight, how will they identify? Why are being people arrested ahead of the election? Is the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) hoping to win the election after arresting all the booth agents (of TMC)? The arrests were made to support the BJP,” Banerjee told reporters earlier during the day before leaving for Balurghat.
The BJP responded saying that these were well-planned attacks being led by the TMC.
“The Bhupatinagar attack is not a stray case. Earlier, ED officials had come under attack. The pattern is similar and these are planned attacks which are being controlled from one single place. Mamata Banerjee and her team are behind this. The Union home ministry should take stern actions. The TMC has allied with anti-national forces. The ECI (Election Commission of India) should also think about whether such parties should be recognised,” Sukanta Majumdar, BJP’s state president told the media on Saturday.
