A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was attacked at Bhupatinagar in West Bengal's East Midnapore district on Saturday morning. The incident occurred as officials were conducting investigation related to a 2022 blast case at the residence of a Trinamool Congress leader.
Initial reports suggest that the NIA team's vehicle was targeted with bricks, resulting in damage to the windscreen. The NIA has confirmed that one of its officers was also injured.
Earlier today, the NIA team had arrested two individuals in connection with the blast case and was returning to Kolkata when the assault took place, according to news agency PTI.
Mamata Banerjee’s Accusations:
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee accused the NIA of working for the BJP.
"Why did they raid at midnight? Did they have police permission? Locals reacted in the way they would have if any other stranger had visited the place at midnight. Why are they arresting people right before the elections? What does the BJP think, that they will arrest every booth agent? What right does NIA have? They are doing all these to support the BJP. We call upon the entire world to fight against this BJP's dirty politics," Bengal CM said.
The Bengal Chief Minister further alleged that NIA personnel had assaulted residents in Bhupatinagar instead of the villagers initiating the attack. "Would the women remain silent if they were attacked?" she questioned.
Background:
The agency had been in Bhupatinagar to arrest Jana in connection with the blast incident. Three people were killed when an explosion ripped apart a kutcha house in Bhupatinagar on December 3, 2022. The investigation was later handed over to the NIA.
This attack on the NIA team follows a similar incident two months ago when an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team was assaulted in Bengal's Sandeshkhali on January 5. Sheikh Shahjahan, an expelled TMC leader, was subsequently arrested after being on the run for nearly two months.
Several of his associates, including his security guard and brother, have also been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in relation to the January 5 attack on the ED team.
