A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) faced an attack in Bhupatinagar, located in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district, on Saturday morning while probing a blast incident that occurred in 2022 at a Trinamool Congress leader’s residence.
Initial reports suggest that the NIA officials’ vehicle was targeted with bricks, resulting in damage to the windshield, as locals surrounded the car and hurled stones around 5:30 am. According to a senior police official, one NIA officer sustained injuries in the attack.
The NIA team had earlier arrested two individuals related to the case and was returning to Kolkata when the incident occurred. The agency has filed a police complaint in response to the attack. Subsequently, a significant deployment of central police forces has been dispatched to Bhupatinagar, where the NIA team is currently present along with the detainees.
The blast, which claimed three lives, had occurred on December 3, 2022, in a house with a thatched roof in Bhupatinagar. Last month, the NIA had summoned eight Trinamool Congress leaders for questioning in connection with the incident.
The Trinamool Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating the NIA’s actions, alleging political motives behind the probe. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh claimed that the BJP had provided a list of TMC leaders to the NIA, suggesting imminent arrests.
This attack on the NIA team comes in the wake of a similar incident two months ago when Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were assaulted during a raid on the residence of Shahjahan Sheikh, a suspended local TMC leader. The ED team, accompanied by CRPF personnel, faced resistance while attempting to apprehend Sheikh in connection with a ration distribution scam in the state.
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