NIA officials attacked in West Bengal's East Midnapore; Two arrested

Officials of National Investigation Team (NIA) were on Saturday attacked by a mob at Bhupatinagar in election- bound West Bengal's East Midnapore district when the anti-terror agency was returning with two arrested TMC activists in a 2022 blast case in which three people were killed, official sources said.

State police were investigating the attack in which the vehicle of the NIA was vandalised and one of the officials received wounds.The federal agency filed a complaint at the Bhupatinagar police station.

Sources said the NIA conducted the raid midnight and after interrogating the two suspects in the blast case nabbed them.While returning by their car, the NIA team was attacked by the irate mob which pelted with stones breaking the windscreen.One of the officials received head injury.

The NIA arrested Monobrata Jana and Balai Chandra Maity, who would be produced before a special court today.The NIA is probing following a Calcutta High Court order in the December 22, 2022 blast case in which three people were killed, including a TMC activist, a day before TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee's visit there for a meeting.

State police said the incident happened before a contingent of force arrived on the spot as the federal agency went to raid without informing about the search operation.The NIA alleged that altogether eight people, accused of their involvement in the blast, skipped summons twice and hence the raid wasconducted.

The NIA attack happened in Bengal, barely three months after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was attacked on January 5 last when the federal agency went to grill Shahajahan Sheikh, a TMC leader, at Sandeshkhali in the alleged ration scam in North 24 Parganas.

Reacting to the attack, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee questioned why the central agency went there without informing the local police station at midnight.

Will the women at home keep quiet if the agency officials enter at midnight? asked Banerjee.CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya accused the chief minister of fomenting trouble by her statement.He said the attack on the NIA was pre-planned and committed by the instigation of the ruling TMC.The driver of the NIA vehicle alleged that some 50/60 women attacked the vehicles.(UNI)<>