NIA makes first arrests in anti-Hindu Mominpore violence case

New Delhi, Dec 14: The National Investigation Agency has made its first arrests in the Mominpur anti-Hindu violence case a months after it took over the probe.

After prolonged questioning, the agency made the two arrests. During the questioning the suspects were not cooperating, reports said.

The Kolkata police had earlier arrested 18 people in connection with the same case.

He report said that the NIA recorded the statements of at least 10 active witnesses and five people were identified as suspects in the case. Two had been summoned and both were taken into custody following interrogation.

In October this year, the NIA registered a case and initiated a probe into the anti-Hindu violence that took place on October 9 at Mominpore in West Bengal. The decision to handover the case to the NIA was made in the wake of the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs directing the agency to begin the probe after filing a First Information Report.

While hearing a case relating to the violence, the Calcutta High Court ordered the state police to form a Special Investigation Team and probe the matter. The petitioners had approached the court saying that the state police remained mute spectators when the violence broke out at the Ekbalpore-Mominpore area of Kolkata on the even of Laxmi Puja.

Vehicles were burnt down and stones were hurled on October 9.

The High Court while looking at the preliminary reports filed before it said that five criminal cases had already been registered over the incident. As per the preliminary report, 42 persons were arrested and 15 live bombs, 4 crude bombs and several weapons had been seized, the court noted.

The High Court said that it is for the Centre to decide on whether the case may be handed over to the NIA keeping in mind the gravity of the offence.