In the East Medinipur district of Bengal, a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) encountered an attack while conducting a raid on Saturday morning. One of the officers from the anti-terror agency sustained injuries during the incident, which took place in the Bhupitaninagar area.
According to a source from India Today, the NIA team had arrived in Bhupitaninagar to carry out a raid related to a previous blast in the area. While conducting the search operation, the team was unexpectedly assaulted by a mob, leading to the damage of a vehicle’s windscreen.
A police vehicle was blocked by a group of men and women in a video, as they shouted at the police and demanded them to retreat. The women were observed sitting on the street in front of security personnel, holding bamboo sticks in their hands.
As per an NIA source, it was informed to the local police station in advance about the raid, but appropriate security measures were not implemented.
However, according to police sources, the NIA team arrived in Bhupitaninagar at 5.30 am, much earlier than expected, and then requested for additional support.
The NIA has filed a complaint against Manabendra Jana and other unidentified individuals at the local police station. The anti-terror agency had gone to Bhupitaninagar to apprehend Jana in relation to the blast incident. The Bhupatinagar blast occurred in December 2022 at the residence of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader in the Naryabila village under Bhupatinagar Police Station, resulting in the death of three individuals. The NIA initiated an investigation into the matter in June 2023.
This attack on the NIA team transpired just two months after an assault on a team from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Bengal’s Sandeshkhali on January 5. Expelled TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested in connection with the attack nearly two months after being on the run. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also apprehended some of his associates, including his security guard and brother, in relation to the January 5 attack on the ED team.