Hours after a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigating the 2022 blast in West Bengal’s East Medinipur was attacked on Saturday, the district police booked them under charges of molestation.
East Midnapore police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the NIA officers under sections 354 (molestation) and 441 (trespassing) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Bhupatinagar police station on Saturday night. The FIR has been filed based on the complaint of family members of the arrested accused and TMC worker Manabroto Jana, said the police. According to sources, the police received a complaint that NIA officials molested women by breaking the doors of their houses late at night.
The NIA also filed a written complaint about the attack at the Bhupatinagar police station on Saturday. No one has been arrested in connection with the case yet.
The NIA team was attacked at Bhupatinagar on Saturday after they picked up two TMC workers in connection with the blast on December 3, 2022, killing three people. Two NIA officials received minor injuries as their vehicle was allegedly attacked after Balai Maiti and Manobrata Jana, the two key conspirators, were picked up for questioning.
A war of words erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the CPI(M), and the Trinamool Congress after the incident at Bhupatinagar, with Opposition leaders pointing out similarities with the January 5 Sandeshkhali incident in North 24 Parganas when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were attacked by the supporters of now-arrested TMC leader Shahzahan Sheikh.
“Attacking a Central agency means attacking the Indian Constitution. Booking NIA officials under molestation charges for performing their duties is an indication of the collapse of all constitutional bodies. They have launched a war against the Indian Constitution,” said BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya.
“The State government is provoking. The NIA attacked, but the police didn’t arrest anyone involved in that incident. Rather they have booked NIA officials. It is so unfortunate. What do you expect when the CM herself is sending a message that the central agency cannot act against them?” asked CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty.
Chakraborty was referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s comments at an election rally in Balurghat. “It was the NIA that attacked and not the women… At midnight, NIA officials are barging into the homes of people. What do you expect? Won’t women fight for their dignity? In 2022, there was a chocolate bomb blast at Bhupatinagar and now the NIA has been sent… to create terror. The BJP wants to arrest all our booth presidents,” said Banerjee.
On the other hand, the ruling party accused the BJP of launching a witch hunt against its leaders and workers. “The incident took place in December 2022. Just because it is Bengal and a TMC-ruled government, after elections were announced all agencies were alerted. There is a witch hunt against TMC leaders. They (central agencies) are harassing people at midnight. The women have the right to file a complaint. Every person in Bengal understands the BJP’s strategy,” said TMC leader Joy Prakash Majumdar.
Meanwhile, Dr Aariz Aftab, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengalhas sought a report over the Bhupatinagar incident.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 07-04-2024 at 13:14 IST
