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regular-article-logo Friday, 03 May 2024

Bengal police ask National Investigation Agency officers to turn up at Bhupatinagar police station by April 11

Section of villagers was accused of attacking NIA team that was heading to police station with Monobrata Jana and Balai Charan Maity, two Trinamul Congress leaders who were arrested by central agency in connection with 2022 explosion

Kinsuk Basu Calcutta Published 10.04.24, 09:58 AM
Villagers protest against the NIA raid at Bhupatinagar on Saturday

Villagers protest against the NIA raid at Bhupatinagar on Saturday

Bengal police have asked two officers of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to turn up at Bhupatinagar police station by April 11 as witnesses to the alleged attack on a visiting team of the NIA on Saturday morning at Naruabila village in East Midnapore.

Of the two officers, one is the complainant of the case that was drawn up at the Bhupatinagar police station following an FIR lodged in the aftermath of the alleged attack.

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A section of villagers was accused of attacking the NIA team that was heading to the police station with Monobrata Jana and Balai Charan Maity, two Trinamul Congress leaders who were arrested by the central agency in connection with a 2022 explosion.

The other NIA officer was injured in the alleged assault.

“The two officers have been asked to turn up with documents, including a medical report of the injury, as a part of the investigation into the case that has been drawn up based on the NIA’s complaint,” a senior officer of the East Midnapore district police said.

“We would also like to carry out a forensic test of the vehicle that was damaged in the alleged assault by the villagers.”

Besides the two NIA officers, the police summoned three villagers who were allegedly involved in the attack.

“We would like to record the statements of all as part of the probe,” the officer said.

The Bhupatinagar police also drew up an FIR after a woman had filed a complaint on Saturday, alleging outraging of modesty by the NIA officers. On Tuesday, the NIA moved Calcutta High Court seeking to quash the FIR.

The Election Commission (EC) had sought a report on the attack from the state’s chief secretary and the director general of police.

The police and the district administration of East Midnapore sent a report to the state’s chief electoral officer (CEO) recently admitting that the NIA officers had been attacked.

Sources said a report of the Contai subdivisional officer (SDO) and the police stated that one of the NIA officers had been injured and their vehicle damaged.

The report also said the NIA officers had notified authorities prior to commencing their investigation in the early hours of Saturday.

“We are yet to receive a report on the incident from the state’s chief secretary. The one that we received from the district administration, including the police, has been sent to the election commission’s headquarters in Delhi,” said an election officer.

The report said multiple teams had been deployed for the NIA operation at Bhupatinagar on Saturday. One of the teams reached the Bhupatinagar police station and informed the local law enforcers about the plan to raid at least five locations. By the time the police could mobilise reinforcements, another team had reached the Naruabila village.

As the information about the attack reached the police, the police were dispatched to the village, said the report. Besides, officers of the rank of deputy magistrate also reached the site, the report said.

The acknowledgement in the report to the Election Commission is in contradiction to chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that the NIA officers had conducted the raids without police permission.

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