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Bhupatinagar incident: NIA moves Kolkata HC against FIRs filed by Bengal Police
Anti-terror agency NIA moved the Kolkata High Court against the string of complaints filed against them by the West Bengal police.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) approached the Kolkata High Court against the FIRs and charges put forward by the West Bengal police against the agency. The high court has allowed NIA to file the petition, the anti-terror agency said in a statement.
In its statement, NIA said that they have filed the petition against the FIRs made against its officials after the Bhupatinagar incident. The matter is set to be heard in the Kolkata High Court today, April 9.
This comes after the West Bengal police registered multiple FIRs against the probe agency this week in the Bhupatinagar police station, alleging trespassing, and molestation by the NIA officials.
Read more: NIA attacked: Bengal Police files FIR against probe agency alleging molestation
Justice Jay Sengupta granted permission to file the application and move his court in the post-recess session of the day, NIA counsel Arun Kumar Mohanty said. The petition also seeks interim protection from any coercive action by the state police against the NIA officials.
A team of NIA officials were attacked in West Bengal's East Midnapore district when they were conducting a raid in relation with a 2002 bomb blast case. The NIA team was attacked after they arrested to Trinamool Congress leaders in connection with the bomb blast, which had killed three people.
While an FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint by the NIA officials at Bhupatinagar, a case was initiated against the central agency officials on a complaint by some villagers, accusing them of theft and outraging the modesty of women.
Read more: TMC alleges Bengal BJP leader met NIA SP days before Bhupatinagar raid
The attack on the NIA team happened around three months after villagers and locals assaulted a team of Enforcement Department (ED) officers when they went to raid the residence of, now arrested TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh on January 5 in connection with the alleged ration scam.
Soon after NIA filed a petition in the Kolkata High Court, the West Bengal police sent a summons to the agency official who was injured in the scuffle that broke out in Bhupatinagar.
The investigating team at the Bhupatinagar police station has also asked the NIA official to bring the vehicle which was damaged during the mob attack, stating that they want to conduct a forensic test on it.
A police officer told PTI, “The NIA officer has been asked to appear before our officer on April 11. We have also asked them to send the vehicle which was damaged during the attack. We plan to conduct a forensic test on it.”
(With inputs from PTI)
