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A group of the Nationwide Investigation Company was allegedly attacked by locals in East Midnapore district of West Bengal early on Saturday morning, triggering a political row with chief minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the central company as an alternative of mounting the assault.
The Nationwide Investigation Company (NIA) mentioned considered one of its officers was injured and a car was broken within the assault that occurred in Bhupatinagar.
Banerjee mentioned it was “self-defence” by villagers, alleging that the NIA group had barged into a number of homes within the early hours over an incident of “bursting of crackers in 2022”.
Governor CV Ananda Bose, nonetheless, mentioned the matter needs to be handled with all seriousness that it deserves “as any try to bully the investigating businesses doesn’t convey credit score to anybody”.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Social gathering alleged that it was a “state-sponsored” assault, and accused Banerjee of inciting violence.
The NIA mentioned that in a breakthrough within the Bhupatinagar blast case, two key conspirators — Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana — have been arrested after intensive searches at 5 areas.
The explosion, on December 3, 2022, in the home of an area Trinamool Congress chief Rajkumar Manna killed three folks, together with Manna and two-party employees occasion employees Biswajit Gayen and Buddhadeb Manna.
In March 2023, the Calcutta excessive court docket ordered an NIA probe into the incident. The company began its probe in June final 12 months, and despatched summons to eight TMC employees and native leaders however they skipped the questioning twice.
Saturday’s alleged assault on NIA officers occurred close to Jana’s home with a bunch of locals, comprised largely of girls, blocked the highway to cease the NIA group, a senior police officer mentioned.
At round 5.30am, “locals gheraoed (surrounded) the car (carrying the NIA officers) and pelted stones” at them when the officers have been returning to the Bhupatinagar police station after arresting two folks within the case, the police officer mentioned.
“We’ve acquired a criticism from the NIA. Investigation is happening,” mentioned officer.
The federal company, in a press release, added, “One NIA group member suffered minor damage and the company’s official car was additionally broken as some miscreants within the crowd attacked them at Bhupatinagar.”
They managed to succeed in the police station and full the formalities, apart from lodging a criticism. The NIA mentioned that Jana and Maity have been discovered to have conspired to fabricate and explode crude bombs to unfold terror.
The 2 have been dropped at Kolkata within the afternoon and can be produced earlier than the particular NIA court docket, an official mentioned.
Accusing NIA of attacking the locals, TMC supremo Banerjee mentioned, “Who led the assault? The ladies didn’t assault. It was the NIA which attacked. If somebody enters a girl’s home after midnight and tortures them, what ought to the ladies do? Are they supposed to take a seat? Will they not defend themselves and defend their dignity?”
Banerjee was addressing a rally at Balurghat in South Dinajpur district the place voting for the Lok Sabha elections can be held within the second part on April 26.
Earlier, addressing reporters forward of the rally, Banerjee alleged that the arrest of the 2 was a ploy by the BJP to intimidate TMC employees forward of the Lok Sabha elections.
“If villagers see some strangers getting into the village after midnight, how will they determine? Why are being folks arrested forward of the election? Is the BJP hoping to win the election after arresting all of the sales space brokers (of TMC)? The arrests have been made to assist the BJP,” Banerjee mentioned. Each Jana and Maity are native TMC leaders.
Banerjee accused the BJP-led authorities on the Centre of making an attempt to make use of central businesses to win the elections.
“We wish the Election Fee to work impartially, not flip right into a BJP-run fee,” she mentioned.
The incident bore similarities with the January 5 assault on a group of Enforcement Directorate officers in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas, after they went to look the home of TMC strongman and zilla parishad chief Shahjahan Sheikh in reference to a ration distribution rip-off.
Elevating concern over the incident, Governor Bose mentioned “muscle energy” shouldn’t change “authorized energy”. “It is a very critical state of affairs which must be handled all of the seriousness that it deserves. This sort of ‘goondaism’ shouldn’t be allowed. Muscle energy shouldn’t change authorized energy. This must be handled an iron hand,” he mentioned.
The BJP mounted an assault on the TMC, saying that these “properly deliberate assaults” have been being led by the TMC.
“The Bhupatinagar assault will not be a stray case. Earlier ED officers had come underneath assault. The sample is comparable and these are deliberate assaults that are being managed from one single place. Mamata Banerjee and her group are behind this. The Union house ministry ought to take stern actions. The TMC has allied with anti-Nationwide forces. The ECI must also take into consideration whether or not such events needs to be recognised,” Sukanta Majumdar, BJP’s state president instructed the media.
The TMC mentioned a two-member delegation of the occasion will go to the realm on Sunday.
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