NIA says attack on its team ‘completely unprovoked’

Kolkata: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday issued a statement claiming that the attack on its officers in Bhupatinagar area was “completely unprovoked”. It has also refuted allegations of “unlawful actions” raised by Trinamool Congress (TMC) but remained silent on the allegations of bribery against one of its officers.

In its statement, the NIA said it “categorically denies any mala fide in its recent actions in West Bengal’s Bhupatinagar area”. It said that its actions were “bona fide, lawful and legally mandated, as part of its ongoing investigation into the heinous crime related to fabrication of crude bombs, leading to an explosion that killed three persons in Naruabila village, PS Bhupatinagar, district Purba Medinipur in West Bengal.”

Highlighting that its probe into the incident dating back to December 2022 is as per the instructions of the Calcutta High Court, the NIA reiterated that its team had come under “violent attack by an unruly mob” when they had gone to conduct searches in Naruabila village on Saturday in connection with the probe.

“The attack was completely unprovoked and uncalled for, and an attempt to obstruct NIA from carrying out its lawful duties,” the agency said. It pointed out that the searches were conducted at five locations in the presence of independent witnesses, and under the security cover provided by CRPF, which included lady constables. The arrests were made after following all lawful procedures, it added. NIA said an aggressive crowd assaulted their personnel who were taking arrested accused Manobrata Jana to the local police station for completing legal formalities. One NIA official sustained injuries and an official vehicle was also damaged in the attack. A complaint by NIA was filed at the area police station seeking legal action against the assailants.

On Saturday, NIA arrested two accused, Manobrata Jana and Bailicharan Maity, for their involvement in the crude bomb explosion case. “NIA has now revealed that the duo had failed to appear before the agency despite repeated summons to join the investigation. It had, accordingly, filed an application before the Special NIA Court, Kolkata, which, after perusing the case records, had issued an order on April 3 2024, stating that it found the allegations to be of very serious nature,”

the statement read.