A group of villagers in the Bhupatinagar area of West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district attacked an NIA vehicle when the officials went to investigate a 2022 bomb blast case on Saturday.

People allegedly tried to stop the NIA team from taking the accused persons along with them, according to the ANI news agency.

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“Locals gheraoed the vehicle and pelted stones at it. The NIA has said one of its officers was also injured,” a senior police official told ANI news agency.

Meanwhile, Weste Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioned the timing of the NIA raid. CM Banerjee asked why the agency had to carry out this raid in the middle of the night.

Banerjee claimed claimed that the elite anti-terror agency did not share any prior word with the state government on their visit to the area.

The attack against NIA officials has brought back memories of January 5, when ED officials were attacked in the Sandeshkhali area in North 24 Parganas during a raid in connection with a ration scam.

Last month, eight ruling TMC party leaders skipped summonses by the NIA for questioning in connection with a blast. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that the opposition BJP is behind the NIA move.

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In December 2022, three persons were killed when an explosion ripped apart a kutcha house in the Bhupatinagar area of Bengal. The police handed over the investigation to the NIA.

(This is a developing story and further details are awaited)

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Published: 06 Apr 2024, 12:10 PM IST