Burdwan blast: NIA files chargesheet against 21, including 4 Bangladeshi nationals

Kolkata, Mar 30: Six months after an explosion in a house in West Bengal's Burdwan district, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday charged in a special court 21 people, including four Bangladeshi nationals, for their involvement in the case.

Militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) is suspected to be involved in the blast.

The blast took place in a house in Khagragarh in Burdwan district on October 2, killing two JMB militants and injuring another

The charge sheet was filed before a National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Kolkata.

NIA had arrested Abdul Mazeed Momin on March 21 in connection with the blast from Sealdah area of Kolkata. [Another arrest as NIA inches closer to closure]

"Twentyone accused, including four Bangladeshi nationals, have been charged for offences relating to terrorist act, conspiracy, recruitment, funding and running terrorist training camps, possession of arms and explosives, offences of forgery, offences relating to foreigners act and passport act," an NIA officer said.

Probing the blast, the NIA has so far arrested 18 people from various parts of the country as well as Dhaka in Bangladesh.

The agency has claimed its investigation showed that the JMB had established its network in many districts - particularly in Murshidabad, Nadia, Malda, Birbhum and Burdwan in Bengal, Barpeta in Assam, and Sahibganj and Pakur in Jharkhand.

As many as 15 people suspected to be involved in the case are missing and on the run.

The NIA took over the probe a few days after the explosion.

Assumed to be a gas cylinder blast or explosion Initially, NIA later revealed that the two people who were killed used sophisticated IEDs or Improvised Explosive Devices.

During the investigation NIA had hinted that several crores of Indian rupees were transferred to the Islamic Bank in Bangladesh which were used to fund the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh module. [How Saradha funds helped to carry out terror module revealed]

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had drawn the ire of BJP after she called the blast stage managed, with the objective of triggering riots in the state.

OneIndia News