News West Bengal NIA arrests two key conspirators in Bengal's Bhupatinagar blast case amid attack by miscreants

NIA arrests two key conspirators in Bengal's Bhupatinagar blast case amid attack by miscreants

This is the second instance when a probing agency team was targeted in West Bengal. Earlier on January 5, an Enforcement Directorate team was targeted by a mob when it had gone to search the premises of now suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam.

NIA team faces resistance from locals as it probes Bengal's Bhupatinagar blast case. Image Source : ANINIA team faces resistance from locals as it probes Bengal's Bhupatinagar blast case.

West Bengal: Two officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), who went to probe the Bhupatinagar Blast in Bengal's East Midnapore, were injured as the probing team was targeted by unknown miscreants. The NIA team went to apprehend one person on Friday night in relation to the Bhupatinagar Blast along with CAPF. They were attacked by unknown miscreants who resorted to stone pelting.

In this incident, glass panes of NIA vehicles were damaged while two officers sustained minor injuries. However, the probing agency managed to arrest two key conspirators in the blast case. This happened three months after Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were attacked in Sandeshkhali.

NIA officers faced protesters in Sandeshkhali while they were carrying out an investigation in connection with the Bhupatinagar blast case. People allegedly tried to stop the NIA team from taking the accused persons along with them.

The probing agency informed that in a major breakthrough in Bhupatinagar blast case, in which three persons were killed in December 2022, they have arrested two key conspirators amid stiff resistance from an unruly crowd in the state's East Medinipore district.

One NIA team member suffered a minor injury and the agency’s official vehicle was also damaged as some miscreants in the crowd assaulted them. The aggressive crowd tried to stop the NIA team and its security component from moving towards the Bhupatinagar police station to complete the arrest formalities. NIA has lodged a complaint at the local police station in this regard, they informed.

Speaking on this incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "Why did they raid at midnight? Did they have police permission? Locals reacted in the way they would have if any other stranger had visited the place at midnight. Why are they arresting people right before the elections? What does the BJP think, that they will arrest every booth agent? What right does NIA have? They are doing all these to support the BJP. We call upon the entire world to fight against this BJP's dirty politics."

Mamata further hit out at NIA team saying it was them who attacked women at Bhupatinagar, not the other way round.

"We want the Election Commission to work impartially, not turn into a BJP-run commission," Mamata said in another statement during an election rally in Balurghat.

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