Burdwan blast: Another suspect produced in court

A suspect in 2014 Burdwan blast was produced in court in Bengal, a day after he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The suspect, Muffajal Alam, was arrested in Murshidabad's Lalbagh area on Tuesday. He will further be produced in a special NIA court on Friday.

"He has been arrested in connection with seditious activities against the state, for he was engaged in terrorist activities. He was a member of banned terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen of Bangladesh. He was organising a terrorist camp and there are very serious allegations against him. He has been put in transit remand to produce him in front of a special judge of NIA, Kolkata," said public prosecutor, Sujoy Mukherjee.

Two operatives of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh were killed in an explosion while preparing homemade bombs in Burdwan in West Bengal in October 2014.

Police in December had arrested a key suspect in the case who they believed was linked to a plot to assassinate Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, of neighbouring Bangladesh and stage a coup there.

However lawyer of the accused, Safikul Islam, claimed that the NIA had no proof to prosecute Alam.

"He is a suspect in the case but the NIA has no proof against him. They have conspired against him. He is poor labourer who has ten children. Why should he be involved in such activities? He has nothing to do with it, it is a conspiracy against him, said Islam.

"He has surrendered, not been arrested. The NIA should clarify that he has not been arrested," he added.

On January 31, a court in Kolkata extended the judicial custody of 11 people including two women, accused in the blast, till February 13.