The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday moved the Calcutta High Court, seeking a stay on police proceedings stemming from an FIR against its officials, who had swooped down on Bhupatinagar to conduct a raid in connection with the agency's probe into a blast case.
The NIA has submitted in the court that when they detained two local TMC leaders for their role in a blast case in 2022, they were attacked by the locals. The NIA also added that the state police, instead of taking action against the unruly crowd, had lodged an FIR against the central sleuths over molestation and theft charges.
Justice Jay Sengupta granted permission to file the application and move his court in the post-recesssession of the day, NIA counsel Arun Kumar Mohanty said. The petition has also sought interim protection from any coercive action initiated by the state police against the NIA officials.
Meanwhile, the Bhupatinagar police on Tuesday summoned an injured NIA officer and asked him to be present with the damaged vehicle and his medical report at the police station on April 11. The police would also conduct a forensic test on the damaged vehicle.
"Three villagers have been called and they would be asked about the conduct of NIA officials during their visit to the spot," police sources said.
TMC sources also claimed that the NIA had summoned SP DR Singh to Delhi and also that the central agency was sending Rakesh Roshan, an IPS officer from Patna, to Kolkata to supervise the disputed cases. It may be recalled that TMC had earlier alleged that BJP's Jeetendra Tiwari had met NIA SP, DR Singh, on March 26 following which summons were sent to TMC leaders in Bhupatinagar. The TMC has also demanded Singh's ouster.
