The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has gathered abundant evidence in its ongoing probe into the October 2 blast in Bardhaman district in West Bengal, despite the initial lack of cooperation from the State police.
Union Home Ministry sources in New Delhi told The Hindu that the attitude of the State police led to the destruction of “some significant evidence,” but the “abundance of evidence” it managed to gather on its own has raised the investigators’ hopes of cracking the case soon.
“[A lot of] evidence, witnesses and material have been collected by the NIA investigators, even while the State police tried to block the central officials initially,” a senior official said.
The NIA allegedly faced similar hostility from the local police in other States too. However, once the NIA roped in the State police, better cooperation was forthcoming. “Here [in Bengal] also, the State police and NIA officials are working together.”
Political linksWhile the investigators and the Home Ministry are reasonably sure that banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was involved in the Bardhaman blast, the agencies are exploring possible links between the JMB and All-India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leaders. However, the NIA is not in a hurry to summon them before putting together a watertight case, senior officials in Delhi said.
