NIA submits chargesheet in 2022 Bengal blast case

Kolkata, July 4 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday submitted a chargesheet at a special court here in connection with the blast at Bhupatinagar in East Midnapore district of West Bengal in December 2022 in which three persons were killed.

A total of six persons have been named on the 35-page chargesheet.

The accused named in the chargesheet include local Trinamool Congress leader Balai Charan Maity and Monobrata Jana, who were arrested by the NIA officials in April this year.

The NIA officials and the accompanying central armed police personnel (CAPF) personnel were attacked by Trinamool Congress activists in April while they were returning to Kolkata after arresting Maity and Jana.

The windscreen of the NIA vehicle was also smashed by the ruling party activists. One NIA officer was injured in the attack.

Sources said that in the chargesheet, the NIA mentioned that explosives were deliberately stocked in that area with the motive of creating terror in the region.

The NIA also claimed that the explosive items were stocked for the purpose of manufacturing crude bombs.

To recall, after the blast in December 2022, the West Bengal police began an investigation into the matter.

Later, the NIA was handed the probe following an order by the Calcutta High Court.

After the attack on its officials in April this year, NIA issued a statement accusing Maity and Jana of being involved in a conspiracy to manufacture and explode crude bombs to spread terror.

During the investigation, the NIA also discovered the role of several other accused in the case, including the arrested accused.