1. FIR filed against NIA and CRPF after Bhupatinagar attack during 2022 blast case probe.
2. Charges include molestation based on a woman’s complaint alleging assault by officers.
3. No arrests made; investigation ongoing in West Bengal.
Kolkata, April 07: In the aftermath of an attack on the National Investigation Agency (NIA) team probing the 2022 blast case in Bhupatinagar, West Bengal, the district police registered an FIR against the NIA team and CRPF officials.
The FIR, filed under charges of molestation, followed a complaint from a woman who alleged assault and outrage of her modesty by the officers. No arrests have been made yet.
The NIA was attacked while picking up two TMC workers in connection with the December 2022 blast that resulted in three fatalities. The agency reported minor injuries to one team member and damage to their vehicle during the assault by miscreants.
Following the incident, a verbal clash erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). BJP accused TMC of orchestrating a “state-sponsored attack” to impede the blast case probe. TMC, on the other hand, labeled it a witch hunt against its leaders and workers.
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BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla condemned the attack, likening it to the Sandeshkhali incident, and accused TMC of instigating violence to hinder the investigation.
He criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly justifying the violence and called for Election Commission intervention.
TMC leader Joy Prakash Majumdar defended the party, stating that the incident was used by central agencies for a witch hunt against TMC leaders.
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee countered BJP’s accusations, asserting that West Bengal is the safest state for women and questioning BJP’s stance on women’s safety in other states.
The incident has sparked a political war of words, further intensifying the already charged atmosphere in the run-up to the elections.
