Bhupatinagar: Molestation plaint lodged against NIA officers

Demanding a police investigation into the matter, Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh told the media that a conspiracy was hatched at a meeting on March 26 between BJP’s Jitendra Tiwari and NIA SP Dhan Ram Singh which was executed in Bhupatinagar on April 6

MP, 8 April 2024, Kolkata: Three hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting in Jalpaiguri, Trinamool Congress (TMC), on Sunday, alleged that the BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari held a meeting with a senior official of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and bribed him at the latter’s residence to initiate a probe against a list of Trinamool workers.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee wrote on X: “Experience the unfolding ALLIANCE BETWEEN the @NIA_India and @BJP4Bengal, ORCHESTRATING CONSPIRACIES AGAINST TRINAMOOL leaders amid the Model Code of Conduct. While this collusion persists, the ECI stands by, conspicuously silent, neglecting its duty to ensure fair play”. Demanding a police investigation into the matter, Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh told the media that a conspiracy was hatched at a meeting on March 26 between BJP’s Jitendra Tiwari and NIA SP Dhan Ram Singh which was executed in Bhupatinagar on April 6.

Ghosh said the meeting took place at the New Town residence of Singh who is one of the most trusted officers of Union Home minister Amit Shah. “Everybody saw what the NIA did in Bhupatinagar.

Along with MPs, MLAs, and councillors, they are now targeting booth-level leaders to destroy the level-playing field. Our chairperson Mamata Banerjee had also flagged concerns over how the NIA is acting as per the instructions of BJP leaders.

It seems NIA is being used as BJP cadre,” Ghosh alleged. He added that his party is in possession of CCTV footage of Tiwari visiting the residence of the NIA officer. He also shared what is purportedly a copy of a visitor’s book and claimed that it proves that the two met at the New

Town residence.

Ghosh alleged: “There has been an exchange of money and we demand an investigation into this. Police must register an FIR against DR Singh. The police should check their mobile phone locations to ascertain the truth and also analyse the call detail records to check which leaders were contacted when the BJP leader was at the NIA officer’s house. DR Singh should be immediately removed from Bengal. Our party will move the Election Commission on this”.

The party questioned why else would the NIA wait for two years to rake up an issue just before polls? “NIA officials reached Bhupatinagar late at night and barged into women’s houses without any women personnel. How is this permissible? A 10-member Trinamool delegation will visit the Election Commission and will raise this issue and demand a probe into this. Within 48 hours, 3 DGs were changed in the state.

Action must be taken in this case as well instead of mere verbal censure,” said TMC women’s wing president Chandrima Bhattacharya.

It was learnt that the party may file a petition in the Supreme Court alleging conspiracy between the NIA and the BJP for harassing Opposition parties during elections. However, BJP leader Tiwari has threatened to file a defamation suit if the TMC fails to prove its allegations against him in seven days. Meanwhile, a complaint was lodged against NIA officers at the Bhupatinagar Police Station for allegedly molesting a woman during the raid late on Friday night.

Sources said an NIA team went to Bhupatinagar in East Midnapore to arrest two suspects in connection with an explosion case.

The NIA officers allegedly barged in and molested the wife of one of the accused who was arrested by the Central agency. The NIA officials allegedly did not follow the standard operating procedure during the raid. Later on Saturday night, the woman concerned lodged a complaint at the Bhupatinagar Police Station for alleged molestation and police have reportedly registered a case on charges of molestation (354 IPC). A probe has been initiated. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday issued a statement claiming that the attack on its officers in Bengal’s Bhupatinagar area was “completely unprovoked”. It has also refuted allegations of “unlawful actions” raised by Trinamool Congress.