Central agency arrests 2 key conspirators of 2022 blast case amid attack by crowd, CM calls it 'self-defence'

An NIA officer was injured and a vehicle belonging to the probe agency was damaged in the attack, a spokesperson of the federal investigating agency said.

PTI, New Delhi, Apr 6, 2024 : The National Investigation Agency on Saturday arrested two key conspirators in a 2022 blast case amid an attack on the probe agency’s team by a crowd in West Bengal’s East Medinipore district, an official said here.

An NIA officer was injured and a vehicle belonging to the probe agency was damaged in the attack, a spokesperson of the federal investigating agency said.

“In a major breakthrough in West Bengal’s Bhupatinagar blast case, in which three persons were killed in December 2022, the NIA arrested two key conspirators amid stiff resistance from an unruly crowd in the state’s East Medinipore district,” the spokesperson said.

The duo — Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana — were arrested after extensive searches at five locations, including the house of Jana, where locals tried to obstruct the NIA team. A member of the NIA team suffered minor injury and the agency’s official vehicle was also damaged, the spokesperson added.

Three persons 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.

Saturday’s incident also brought back memories of January 5 when three officials of the Enforcement Directorate were attacked by a mob in North 24 Parganas district’s Sandeshkhali during a search on the premises of ruling Trinamool Congress’ leader Shajahan Sheikh in connection with alleged irregularities in the public distribution system.