Defense News

India

A vehicle carrying NIA officials was on Saturday attacked by villagers in Bhupatinagar area of West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, where they had gone to investigative a 2022 bomb blast case, police said. A team of NIA officials earlier this morning arrested two persons in connection with the case and were on their way back to Kolkata, when the vehicle came under attack, they said.

State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "How can they go at midnight? Have they informed the local police? If villagers see outsiders at midnight these kinds of incidents will happen." Police sources said officers reached the village before forces arrived.

"Locals gheraoed the vehicle and pelted stones at it. The NIA has said one of its officers was also injured," a senior police official said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also lodged a police complaint in this regard, he said.

Officials of the federal probe agency were unavailable for comments on the incident.

A huge contingent of central police force has reached Bhupatinagar, where the NIA team is present along with the two arrested persons, police said.

Three persons were killed when an explosion ripped apart a kutcha house in Bhupatinagar on December 3, 2022. The investigation was later handed over to the NIA.

Saturday's incident also brought back memories of January 5, when ED officials were attacked in Sandeshkhali area in North 24 Parganas during a raid in connection with a ration scam.