Counter-terrorism agency NIA on Bangladesh mob attack

NIA says its team was attacked in West Bengal’s Bhupati Nagar

New Delhi:

The country’s top counterterrorism agency, the NIA, has strongly refuted accusations of attacks on residents of Bhupati Nagar in West Bengal state, where its team had gone to investigate a December 2022 blast that killed three people.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a statement that its team was “violently attacked by unruly mobs” when they went to Naruabila village to conduct a search operation.

“The attack was completely unprovoked and unprovoked and was aimed at hampering the NIA in discharging its legitimate duties,” the NIA said.

The search was conducted at five locations in the presence of independent witnesses and with security provided by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), including women police personnel, the statement said.

The NIA eventually arrested two key conspirators in connection with the bomb blasts in East Midnapur area. The NIA said they were arrested following all legal procedures.

The NIA team was attacked while arresting Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana with an aim to prevent the team from going to Bhupati Nagar police station to complete the arrest formalities.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee alleged that the NIA was working for the BJP.

“Why are they conducting a raid at midnight? Did they get permission from the police? The locals reacted as if some other stranger had visited the place at midnight. Why are they arresting people before the elections? The BJP has a problem with this What do you think? “They’re going to arrest every booth agent? What rights does NIA have? Everything they do is to support the BJP. We call on the world to stand against the dirty politics of the BJP,” Ms. Banerjee said.

Bengal’s chief minister has accused NIA personnel of attacking residents of Bhupati Nagar and not the villagers who carried out the attack.

In its statement, the NIA alluded to Ms Banerjee’s allegations, saying a militant crowd attacked NIA personnel who took the accused to the police station. “An NIA officer was injured in the attack and an official vehicle was damaged. The NIA has lodged a police complaint seeking legal action against the attackers,” the counter-terrorism agency said.

Despite multiple summons, Manobrata Jana and Bailicharan Maity have not appeared before the NIA. The NIA then moved an application to the Special NIA Court in Kolkata, which issued an order on April 3 stating that the charges were of very serious nature.

The special court also said that the NIA “is free to conduct investigation as expeditiously as possible and take all necessary action to arrest, search and seize the house of the suspect/accused in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code.” So far, the Criminal Procedure Code The relevant provisions of the Procedural Code, NIA Act and UA(P)A shall apply for a proper and thorough investigation. “