NIA chargesheets two in connection with IED explosion at West Bengal's Nimtita railway station

Representative Image
Representative Image

New Delhi [India], August 24 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against two in connection with Nimtita Railway Station bomb explosion in West Bengal's Murshidabad resulting in serious injuries to 22 people including Jakir Hossain, the then Minister of Labour in West Bengal government.

Sahidul Islam (35) and Abu Samad (37) have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, as well as the Explosive Substance Act in connection with the case.

The case relates to an IED blast on February 17 this year at Nimtita railway station. The IED was triggered when Jakir Hossain, the then Minister of Labour in the West Bengal government, along with 70 supporters of Trinamool Congress, were entering Platform No. 2/3 at Nimtita railway station for boarding Teesta Torsa Express for onward journey to Kolkata.

Initially, an FIR was registered at Azimganj Railway Police Station, Murshidabad. NIA had re-registered this case on March 2 this year and had taken up further investigation.

The investigation has revealed that the charge-sheeted accused persons Sahidul Islam and Abu Samad had hatched a criminal conspiracy to kill Jakir Hossain and his supporters in order to strike terror in the minds of the people and to derail the impending Assembly Election (March-April, 2021), said the NIA in a statement.

Sahidul Islam had procured materials for making IED from the local shops and had held various meetings with Abu Samad for final selection of site for executing the conspiracy, said the NIA, adding both the accused persons had also unsuccessfully tried to destroy the phones used by them for misleading the investigation agency. (ANI)