NIA arrests man wanted in 2022 Bengal case
The arrested person has been identified as Panchanan Ghorai, a resident of Bhupatinagar of district Purba Medinipur of West Bengal
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an accused in a December 2022 explosion case in West Bengal’s Bhupatinagar, in which three people were killed when crude bombs were being made at the house of one Rajkumar Manna, officials said on Sunday.

The arrested person has been identified as Panchanan Ghorai, a resident of Bhupatinagar of district Purba Medinipur of West Bengal. He was caught on Friday following sustained efforts by the agency, NIA said in a statement, adding that a non-bailable warrant (NBW) was issued against him.
The high intensity blast in the house of Raj Kumar Manna had killed the owner on the spot and caused serious injuries to Buddhadeb Manna alias Lalu and Biswajit Gayen, both of whom died of their injuries later.
The case was initially registered by the state police on December 3, 2022, against the three men killed in the explosion, but the provisions of the explosive substances act were not applied. Subsequently, a writ petition was filed before the Calcutta high court with a prayer for invoking the relevant sections of the act and transferring of the case to NIA.
NIA took over the case on June 4, 2023, and re-registered it as a regular case under various sections of law, including the explosive substances act.
During investigation, NIA uncovered the role of several other accused in the case, including previously arrested accused, Manobrata Jana of village Naruabila, and Balai Charan Maity of Ninaruya Analberia. The two men had actively participated in the conspiracy to make crude bombs and had extended support for the same, NIA had found in its probe.
The agency found that the blast was the result of a criminal conspiracy relating to supply of explosives for making bombs to spread terror and violence in the region.