Day after attack, NIA officers booked for ‘molestation’; agency says its actions ‘lawful’

A DAY after an NIA team was attacked in Bhupatinagar in West Bengal’ spur ba me di nip ur district where it had gone to probe a 2022 crude bomb blast, the officers Sunday were booked for allegedly harassing and molesting two women from the family of one of the TMC leaders arrested in the case. The agency, however, claimed its actions were “bonafide, lawful and legally mandated”.

The officers were booked under IPC section 354 (molestation) and 441 (trespassing), among others. According to the police, the action against the two officers was taken after a complaint filed by the wife of Manabroto Jana, who along with Balai Charan Maity was picked by NIA Saturday. The NIA has accused Jana and Maity of being the “key conspirators” in the 2022 Bhupatinagar blast case.

The NIA had filed a written complaint in connection with the attack but no arrests have been made in the incident so far.

In the complaint filed at Bhupatinagar police station Saturday night, Jana’s wife has alleged that the NIA officers had broken down the door of the house and harassed them. Calls made by The Indian Express to SP (Purba Medinipur) Soumyadip Bhattacharya went unanswered.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the NIA said its actions “were bo na fide, lawful and legally mandated” and were a “part of an ongoing investigation into the heinous crime related to fabrication of crude bombs, leading to an explosion that killed three persons in Naruabila village, PS Bhupatinagar, district Purba Medinipur in West Bengal”.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr Aariz Aftab has sought a report from the police over the Bhupatinagar incident.

“Booking NIA officials under molestation charges for performing their duties is indication of the collapse of all constitutional bodies,” said BJP RS MP Samik Bhattacharya. “The incident took place in December 2022... There is a witch-hunt against TMC leaders. The women have all rights to file a complaint,” said TMC leader Joy Prakash Majumdar.