NIA Team Probing Medinipur Blast Case Stopped By Protesters In West Bengal, Car Vandalised

According to ANI, the vehicle in which the NIA officers were travelling was allegedly vandalised while a person was being picked up in connection with the case.

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Kolkata: In a distressing repetition of past events, a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) encountered stiff resistance in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, while conducting investigations related to a blast case on Saturday. The latest incident is reminiscent of a similar attack on the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) team in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas where the officers were besieged and allegedly assaulted during a raid linked to an alleged food scam.

According to sources within the NIA, the team dispatched to Purba Medinipur faced hostility during their probe into the blast case. Reports indicate that the vehicle transporting the NIA officers was targeted and vandalized amidst efforts to apprehend a suspect connected to the ongoing investigation.

A video footage circulating on social media purportedly depicts residents gathering around the NIA vehicle, attempting to obstruct the apprehension of the suspect. The situation escalated as villagers resorted to pelting the vehicle with stones, further escalating tensions.

#WATCH | West Bengal: NIA officers had to face protesters in Sandeshkhali 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/UVoAO6uuPQ

— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2024

2 Key Conspirators In Bengal Blast Case Arrested

The NIA officials later arrested two key conspirators linked to the December 2022 Bhupatinagar blast case despite facing resistance from the locals. However, one of its officers was arrested during the process. The duo, Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana, were arrested after extensive searches at five locations, including the house of Jana, where a crowd tried to obstruct the NIA team which raided the area early Saturday in connection with the Bhupatinagar blast case in which three persons were killed in December 2022.

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, the agency said.

Sandeshkhali, situated within the Sundarbans, has become a focal point of political discourse following allegations of sexual abuse and land encroachment against suspended TMC politician Shajahan Sheikh and his associates. The recent remarks by the Calcutta High Court condemning the events in Sandeshkhali also underscored the gravity of the situation.

Earlier this year, Shahjahan Sheikh, the suspended TMC leader, triggered a political storm when an ED team conducting a raid at his residence in connection with a ration scam was met with mob violence. This incident came as a grim reminder of the escalating tensions and recurring confrontations in the region.