TMC vs NIA Fight Gets Intense: Kolkata High Court Moved After Bengal Cops Book Probe Agency Officers

The Trinamool Congress’ battle against the central probe agencies is getting intense with reports stating that the West Bengal police has registered an FIR against NIA officials under charges of molestation. The NIA, meanwhile, has moved the Kolkata high court against the police action. The court is set to hear the matter around 2pm.

Sources said that the East Midnapore police has asked the National Investigation Agency to give details of their injuries, damage to vehicle and other information, along with the sequence of events during the raids.

Police said that the First Information Report (FIR) was filed on the complaint of family members of the arrested accused and TMC worker Manabroto Jana. Sources added that the complaint stated that NIA officials ‘molested women’ by breaking the doors of their houses late at night.

In a statement, the Bengal police said, “Two NIA officers have been summoned in connection with the attack on NIA in Bhupatinagar. Mentioned in the notice both officers who complainant and an officer injured during the attack will come as witnesses for the purpose of investigation. The injured officer has also been asked to carry his medical papers and the car attacked, for forensics.”

A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 Bhupatinagar blast case in Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers.

On the same day, the NIA filed a written complaint about the attack in Bhupatinagar. The NIA said one of its officers was injured and a vehicle was damaged in the attack.

The attack on the NIA team happened around three months after villagers and locals assaulted a team of Enforcement Department (ED) officers when they went to raid the residence of, now arrested, TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh on January 5 in connection with the alleged ration scam.

Some reports stated that the Bengal police has detained three people in connection with the attack on NIA officials. However, there has been no official confirmation of arrests so far.

The NIA on Monday had issued summons to three Trinamool Congress leaders — Manab Kumar Karaya, Subir Maity and Naba Kumar Ponda — asking them to appear before its officers for questioning in connection with the Bhupatinagar blast case.

Meanwhile, several TMC leaders gathered in New Delhi to protest outside the Election Commission’s (EC) office, demanding that the chiefs of the CBI, NIA, ED and income-tax department be changed.

The leaders, protesting on Monday, were shortly detained by the Delhi Police. They were reportedly asked to disperse by the police, but as they continued their protest, the security personnel forcibly evicted them and detained them.

A police officer said the leaders were detained as section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which prohibits large gatherings, is imposed in the area and no permission was taken for the protest.

Late on Monday, the Delhi Police said the TMC leaders have been released. The leaders, however, maintained that they will remain in the police station through the night and continue their protest.

A war of words was also witnessed between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the CPI(M), and the TMC, with the saffron party leaders pointing out similarities with the Sandeshkhali incident.

“TMC leaders do not care about the Constitution of India and democracy. If anyone has insulted the Constitution, constitutional institutions and democracy, it is TMC leaders. They are doing ‘nautanki’ (gimmick) to protect and save Shahjahan Sheikh,” BJP national general secretary Arun Singh told reporters.

The protest by TMC leaders shows their frustration with the party sensing its defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, he added.