A day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was allegedly attacked in Bhupatinagar in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district, the central agency refuted all the allegations of ‘mala fide’ in its actions and clarified that the attack was “unprovoked”. According to the NIA, the attack by the mob was an attempt to obstruct it from carrying out its lawful duties.

“NIA made it clear that its actions were bona fide, lawful, and legally mandated, as part of its ongoing investigation into the heinous crime related to fabrication of crude bombs, leading to an explosion that killed three persons in Naruabila village, PS Bhoopatinagar, district Purba Medinipur in West Bengal,” the central agency wrote in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The NIA’s statement came after Bengal’s East Midnapore police registered an FIR against the NIA team and CRPF officials based on the complaint of a woman who claimed that the officials molested her by breaking the doors of their houses late at night. According to the police, there were reports of arguments earlier as another team of NIA visited the Bhupatinagar spot.

On Saturday morning, a team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob – mostly comprising of women – as the officials reached the Bhupatinagar area to investigate a 2022 blast case at a Trinamool Congress leader’s house.

According to the officials, the attack took place around 5:30 am during which one NIA team member suffered a minor injury and the agency’s official vehicle was damaged. The mob tried to stop the team from entering the area and pelted stones at them, an official said.

In a purported video doing rounds on social media, several people can be seen gathering around the NIA vehicle, trying to stop them from the suspects in the blast case along with them.

The NIA has also registered a case against the attackers at the Bhupatinagar police station.

On December 3, 2022, a blast took place at local TMC leader Rajkumar Manna’s house in Bhupatinagar. Three people, including Manna, were killed in the incident. Three months after the incident, the Calcutta high court ordered an NIA probe into the matter, following which the central agency began its investigation in June 2023.

On Saturday, the agency arrested two accused in the case – Manobrata Jana and Bailicharan Maity. According to the NIA, the two leaders had failed to appear before the agency despite repeated summons to join the investigation. “The NIA then filed an application before the special NIA court in Kolkata, which, after perusing the case records, had issued an order on April 3, 2024, stating that it found the allegations to be of very serious nature,” the NIA wrote in its statement.

(With inputs from agencies)