2022 blast case: Out to nab accused, NIA team attacked in WB
New Delhi, April 6
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested two key conspirators in the West Bengal’s Bhupatinagar blast case amid an attack on the probe agency’s team by a crowd in East Medinipore district.
An NIA officer was injured and a vehicle belonging to the probe agency was damaged in the attack, an official said.
The incident brought back memories of January 5 when three ED officials were attacked by a mob in North 24 Parganas district’s Sandeshkhali during a search on the premises of then TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh.
The 2022 blast accused — Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana — were arrested after extensive searches at five locations, including the house of Jana, where a crowd of local residents attacked the team. The aggressive crowd tried to stop the NIA team and its security component from moving towards Bhupatinagar police station to complete the arrest formalities.
Manobrata Jana and the other arrested accused, identified as Balai Charan Maity, were found to have conspired to manufacture and explode crude bombs to spread terror.
Three persons were killed in the December 2022 explosion at the house of one Rajkumar Manna in Naruabilla village, East Medinipur.
Manna himself was seriously injured in the blast, along with two others — Biswajit Gayen and Buddhadeb Manna. All three later succumbed to their injures.
