Attack On NIA Team In Bengal's East Midnapore, Car Damaged

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team was attacked in Bhupatinagar, West Bengal's East Midnapore district, on Saturday morning while investigating a 2022 blast case at a Trinamool Congress leader's house.

Initial reports suggest that bricks were thrown at the NIA team's car, damaging the windshield. Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries. The incident occurred around 5:30 am.

The explosion on December 3, 2022, destroyed a house with a thatched roof in Bhupatinagar, claiming three lives.

Last month, the NIA summoned eight Trinamool Congress leaders for questioning regarding the blast.

The TMC has accused the BJP of orchestrating the NIA's actions. The central probe agency had asked the eight individuals to appear before its officers after they failed to respond to earlier summons directing them to visit the NIA office in New Town near here on March 28.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party was behind this move.

Ghosh claimed that the BJP has provided a list of TMC leaders from Purba Medinipur district to the NIA, which is reportedly planning to arrest them.

This attack on the NIA team comes just two months after an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team was attacked while raiding the house of Shahjahan Sheikh, a suspended local TMC leader closely associated with arrested state food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, in connection with a multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal. Central force personnel accompanying the ED team were also targeted, and three ED officers had to be hospitalized.

The mob allegedly attempted to prevent the ED officers from taking Adhya with them, throwing stones at their vehicles. The CRPF personnel accompanying the ED team had to use force to control the situation.