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PIL seeks NIA probe into Malda blast; more crude bombs recovered in West Bengal
The Malda police recovered at least 34 crude bombs from the village on Monday. More bombs, kept in a nag, were recovered from another spot located around 2.5 km away on Tuesday.
KOLKATA: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Calcutta high court on Tuesday seeking a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into Sunday’s blast in West Bengal’s Malda district in which five children were injured.
Meanwhile, one person was injured on Tuesday when he was trying to remove some garbage in the area. Later police recovered six crude bombs from the area. In a separate incident, the Malda police recovered a bag full of crude bombs.
An advocate mentioned the Malda incident before a bench comprising chief justice Prakash Shrivastava and justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj seeking leave to file PIL. The matter is likely to be heard later this week.
On Sunday, five boys were injured after some crude bombs, which they mistook as balls, allegedly exploded at Gopalnagar in Malda. Three of them were critically injured and were admitted to Malda Medical College and Hospital, while two were taken to a health centre.
“We have arrested four persons in this connection. Investigation is going on,” said Amitabha Maity, superintendent of police of Malda district.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has already sought a report from the state’s chief secretary and the director general of police (DGP) within 10 days.
The Calcutta high court on Thursday ordered an NIA probe into two incidents of explosions in West Bengal’s Birbhum district in August 2019. Earlier the state Criminal Investigation Department was probing the cases.
The Malda police recovered at least 34 crude bombs from the village on Monday. On Tuesday more bombs, kept in a nag, were recovered from another spot located around 2.5 km away.
It may be recalled that the state police had launched a 10-day drive on the orders of chief minister Mamata Banerjee in March this year to recover illegal arms and ammunitions. The state police, however, didn’t reveal how many bombs or arms were recovered.
As the bombs in Malda which injured the five children were found in a plot of land that belongs to the uncle of a local Trinamool Congress (TMC) youth leader, the incident has also triggered a political slugfest.
“Mamata Banerjee should send a fact-finding team of TMC representatives to Malda’s Kaliachak to investigate how five children were injured while playing, when they mistook crude bombs for balls… Imagine the tragic state of affairs in West Bengal. It can’t be allowed to continue,” tweeted Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJP’s IT cell.
The TMC, however, hit back saying, “If anyone is found guilty, he won’t be spared. But Malviya should look into his own party and the states ruled by the BJP where people are being burnt alive and their houses demolished,” said Abdur Rahman Bkashi, TMC district president of Malda.
