: The ongoing probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the ‘accidental’ blast in Bardhaman town is centred on a madrasa located at Simulia village at Mangalkote in the Bardhaman district.
Over the past few days, among other places visited by the NIA officials, the madrasa remains the focus of the investigation.
While on Monday, the NIA officials summoned representatives of State Land Reforms Department to ascertain the owner of the land on which the unrecognised madrasa in Simulia had come up, on Tuesday a pond outside the madrasa was searched.
The NIA in a press release had pointed out that it was at this madrasa that the “accused were radicalised in violent Jihadi ideology”.
While the blast site at Khagragarh in Bardhaman where the explosion occurred on October 2 is also being closely scrutinized, the madrasa is being inspected further for possible links to the accused in the blast.
During the day, the NIA officials also went to another madrasa at Lalgola in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.
On the issue of the madrasa in the State being used for “jihadi” activities, West Bengal’s Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said on Monday, “It is the responsibility of the State government to find out whether madrasas are indulging in unlawful activities or generally teaching students,” the Governor said.
Meanwhile, the NIA team headed by officer of the rank of IG, which arrived in the city on October 10, have accessed all the documents and have three accused persons in its custody.
Two women Razia Bibi and Alima Bibi along with another accused Badrul Alam Molla, were produced in Court on Monday and remanded to NIA custody till October 22.
The fourth accused in the case Abdul Hakim who was present at the two storied house at Khagragarh when the explosion occurred on October 2 is recuperating from his injuries at State- run SSKM hospital.
Expressing apprehensions over Hakim’s life, NIA had appealed to the court that he be provided security cover. The Court had directed the police and hospital authorities to ensure adequate security for the injured accused.
