NIA files case in Kolkata’s Mominpur violence case

Lawyers representing NIA said that those named in charge sheet are eight persons who were arrested by the agency and are in judicial custody

A view of National Investigation Agency (NIA). File | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday filed a charge sheet before a city court against 16 accused in connection with clashes between two communities in Mominpur area of Kolkata in October 2022.

The lawyers representing NIA said that those named in the charge sheet are the eight persons who were arrested by the agency and are in judicial custody. Six others named in the charge sheet are absconding. The investigation against two others is still going on and they are not in custody. The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and The Explosives Act.

Interestingly, none of the 20 people who were arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the communal flare up at Mominpur were named in the NIA charge sheet.

Earlier this week NIA conducted a search at 17 locations in Bhukailash road under Ekbalpore police station in Mominpur area. A press statement by the NIA said that these persons indulged in brick batting, stone pelting and also hurled bombs at each other.

While the Kolkata Police had started investigating the case, it was later handed over to the agency. The court also granted the request by the investigating agency to continue the investigation. Though there were no casualties in the violence, crude bombs were hurled and several houses and vehicles were vandalised.  

Two held for suspected terrorist activities by STF

During the day the Special Task Force of Kolkata Police arrested two persons from Howrah’s Tikiapara area. Nabanna Building.According to police the accused are terrorists allied to the Islamic State (IS).

The accused were remanded to police custody till January 19 after being produced before a court. According to the police, one of those arrested is highly educated with an MTech degree and was in touch with IS functionaries in Pakistan and West Asia. Senior officials said that those arrested were trying to build their network and had held meetings in different parts of the city. The arrests in an area less than a kilometer from State Secretariat Nabanna Buiding ahead of Republic Day celebrations is a matter of concern for investigating agencies.