Bengal blast: NIA denies reports of non-cooperation by police

The NIA, which is probing the Oct 2 Burdwan blast that killed two suspected militants, Tuesday denied reports of the West Bengal Police and the CID not cooperating in the investigation.

"NIA will like to deny reports appearing in certain section of media that the West Bengal Police and CID have not been cooperating in the ongoing investigation," the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a press statement.

Amid allegations that the state police was destroying evidence to cover up, the union home ministry Oct 9 directed the NIA to take up the investigation into the incident in which the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh is suspected to be involved.

While the opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Bharatiya Janata Party had demanded an NIA probe alleging that the ruling Trinamool Congress was indulging in a cover up to hide its "terror links", the Mamata Banerjee government had opposed the central agency probe contending it to be an attack on federalism.

Six people including two women have been arrested for the blast that occurred in a house in Khagragarh area in which a militant was also injured.

Meanwhile the NIA during the day conducted searches at various places including the rented residence of killed militant Shakil Ahmed in Beldanga in Murshidabad district.

Certain incriminating documents and metal pieces used in making IEDs have been recovered. The NIA team along with the Bengal CID has also initiated a thorough search of the Simulia Madrassa.

Investigations have revealed that the two women who are now in NIA custody were radicalised in violent Jihadi ideology at the Simulia madrassa.

The central agency Monday had secured the custody of the two women and Badrul Alam Molla- three key accused in the case.

The NIA also said that three people were summoned in Chennai for questioning in this connection.

Besides the six arrests in Bengal, six others have been nabbed from Barpeta district in Assam for their alleged involvement in the case.

NIA teams are camping in Burdwan, Kolkata, Nadia and some parts of Assam in connection with the investigation.

A number of key players in the conspiracy have been identified and police as well as intelligence agencies have been alerted to look-out for them.