Bhupatinagar blast case: NIA issues summons to 3 TMC leaders

Kolkata: The National Investigation Agency has issued summons to three Trinamool Congress leaders asking them to appear before its officers for questioning in connection with the Bhupatinagar blast case, an official said on Monday.

The three leaders -- Manab Kumar Karaya, Subir Maity and Naba Kumar Ponda -- have been asked to appear before NIA officers here on Monday, he said.

"Three TMC leaders have been summoned to our city office for questioning on Monday morning," the officer told PTI.

The trio had skipped appearing before NIA officers when summoned for questioning last week.

The two arrested TMC leaders were "not cooperating" with our officers, the NIA officer said.

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.

The NIA said one of its officers was injured and a vehicle was damaged in the attack that happened in Bhupatinagar.

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.