In the East Medinipur district of Bengal, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) team conducting a raid related to a 2022 bomb blast case was assaulted on Saturday (6th April). An officer from the anti-terror agency sustained injuries during the attack in the Bhupatinagar locality in the East Medinipur district. The team’s vehicle was vandalised by a sudden mob, leading to the breaking of its windscreen. The NIA arrested two key conspirators of the blast case during this raid. Notably, both the arrested accused are from West Bengal’s ruling party TMC.
In a video of the incident that was widely shared on social media, locals were purportedly seen gathering around a vehicle, trying to stop the NIA team from taking the suspect along with them. The villagers also pelted the vehicle with stones, sources added.
#WATCH | West Bengal: NIA officers had to face protesters in Bhupatinagar while they were carrying out an investigation in connection with the Bhupatinagar, East Medinipur blast case. People allegedly tried to stop the NIA team from taking the accused persons along with them.… pic.twitter.com/KKL33S4Plm
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2024
After the incident, a statement in this regard has been issued by the agency from its X handle. In this statement, the agency said, “In a breakthrough in West Bengal’s Bhupatinagar blast case, in which three persons were killed in December 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested two key conspirators amid stiff resistance from an unruly crowd in the state’s East Medinipore district.”
NIA Arrests 2 Key Conspirators in W.Bengal Blast Case Amid Resistance from Unruly Crowd pic.twitter.com/c1R9kwE4AC
— NIA India (@NIA_India) April 6, 2024
It added, “The duo, Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana, were arrested after extensive searches at five locations, including the house of Jana, where a crowd of local residents tried to obstruct the NIA team. 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.”
Giving more details about the attack, the NIA said in its statement, “The aggressive crowd tried to stop the NIA team and its security component from moving towards Bhupatinagar police station to complete the arrest formalities. NIA has complained to the local police station in this regard. Manobrata Jana, and the other arrested accused, identified as Balai Charan Maity, were found to have conspired to manufacture and explode crude bombs to spread terror.”
Detailing the bomb blast incident under probe, the NIA said in its statement, “Three persons were killed in the December 2022 explosion in the house of one Rajkumar Manna in village Naruabilla, District East Medinipur, West Bengal. Manna himself was seriously in the blast, along with two others, Biswajit Gayen and Buddhadeb Manna. All three succumbed to their injuries later.”
The agency added, “The State police initially registered an FIR on 3rd December 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 Hon’ble High Court at Calcutta with a prayer for invoking the relevant sections of the Act and transferring the case to NIA. NIA took over the case on 4th June 2023, as per the High Court order dated 21st March 2023, and re-registered it as RC 16/2023/NIA/DLI under various sections of the law, including the Explosive Substances Act.”
The anti-terror probe agency further said, “During the investigation, NIA uncovered the role of several other accused in the case, including the 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, which led to today’s searches and arrests. The arrested accused will be produced before the Special NIA Court, Kolkata, as per law, Investigations in the case are continuing.”
NIA officials detained two local TMC leaders, known as Manobrata Jana and Balai Charan Maity, in connection with the bomb blast case. While returning to Kolkata, the vehicle transporting them came under attack. A senior police official said, “Locals gheraoed the vehicle and pelted stones at it. The NIA has said one of its officers was also injured. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also lodged a police complaint in this regard.”
The NIA had summoned eight Trinamool Congress leaders to present themselves before its officers on Saturday for questioning regarding a blast that occurred in Bhupatinagar, East Medinipur district of West Bengal, in 2022. These leaders had previously ignored summonses directing them to visit the NIA office in Kolkata’s New Town on 28th March.
On 3rd December 2022, an explosion destroyed a makeshift house with a thatched roof in Bhupatinagar, resulting in the deaths of three individuals. Meanwhile, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh accused the opposition BJP of orchestrating the NIA’s actions. West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari posted on X to denounce the assault on the NIA officials, stating that the law and order situation in West Bengal has completely deteriorated.
He posted, “The NIA Team, probing the Bhupatinagar Bomb Blast Case has come under attack at Bhupatinagar in the Bhagabanpur Assembly Constituency, of Purba Medinipur District. The Law and Order structure of West Bengal has crumbled completely and since the control is right now with the Election Commission of India, it’s high time that the Election Commission of India should take proper action against the Officer in Charge of Bhupatinagar Police Station, SDPO Contai, SP of Purba Medinipur District and the DG of WB Police.”
The NIA Team, probing the Bhupatinagar Bomb Blast Case has come under attack at Bhupatinagar in the Bhagabanpur Assembly Constituency, of Purba Medinipur District.
— Suvendu Adhikari (Modi Ka Parivar) (@SuvenduWB) April 6, 2024
The Law and Order structure of West Bengal has crumbled completely and since the control is right now with the… pic.twitter.com/7rObpoNPGK
He added, “It is due to Mamata Banerjee’s repeated instigation that even after the ED Officials were attacked at Sandeshkhali, the TMC Leaders could still dare to attack the NIA Officers. She recently spoke ill about the NIA at the political event at Mathabhanga, in the Cooch Behar district. The NIA team went to apprehend Balai Maity and others who didn’t cooperate after receiving the summons. Instead, these TMC Leaders were busy planning how to attack the National Investigation Agency Officers.”
BJP leader Locket Chatterjee condemned the assault in Midnapore on Saturday. Describing it as “outrageous,” the BJP candidate from West Bengal’s Hooghly stated, “This blatant disregard for law and order is unacceptable.”
