NIA officials who were attacked during raid booked for 'molestation'
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team that was attacked during a raid in West Bengal's Bhupatinagar on Saturday has now been charged with molestation and trespassing. The team was attacked when they arrived in Bhupatinagar to investigate a 2022 blast case at a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader's residence. Relatives of Manabroto Jana, an arrested accused and TMC worker, filed the complaint, alleging that NIA officials violated women's privacy by forcibly entering their homes at night.
NIA investigation leads to TMC workers' arrest
Manabroto is one of two key conspirators arrested by the NIA in connection with the 2022 blast case in Purba Medinipur district, which claimed three lives. Based on the complaint by Manabroto's wife, the police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 325, 34, 354, 354(b), 427, 448, and 509. The NIA, on the other hand, alleged they were attacked by a mob when attempting to arrest the suspects in the blast case.
Political debate ignites amid molestation charges
The incident has ignited a political debate between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the ruling TMC. TMC leader Joy Prakash Majumdar accused central agencies of initiating a witch hunt against TMC leaders and causing distress to people at midnight. In response to the escalating situation, the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Dr. Aariz Aftab, has requested a detailed report on the incident.
Previous attack on Enforcement Directorate officials
A few months prior to this incident, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were also attacked by a mob during a raid at a TMC leader's residence in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali. The TMC leader was later revealed to be Sheikh Shahjahan, who has been arrested for alleged sexual assault and land-grabbing in Sandeshkhali. The ED officials were investigating a multi-crore ration distribution scam. Notably, another TMC leader, Jyotipriya Mallick, is also implicated in the multi-crore ration distribution scam.