NIA Detains 16 in Connection with Bengal Ram Navami Violence

The NIA is continuing further investigations in the case, an official said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has apprehended 16 individuals for their alleged involvement in orchestrating and executing a communal assault during a Ram Navami procession in the Dalkhola area of West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district in March of the previous year.

According to a press release issued by the central agency on Monday, the arrests were made following revelations uncovered during its investigation, as well as the identification of the accused through video footage capturing the violence that unfolded on March 30, 2023.

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The agency stated that the arrested individuals were among those responsible for the assault on members of a specific community who were participating in the procession, deeming their apprehension a “significant breakthrough.”

Initially, the state police had filed a case against 162 individuals following the violence stemming from the attack at Dalkhola’s Tajamul Chowk. On April 27, 2023, the Calcutta High Court directed the transfer of cases related to the violence to the NIA, which subsequently took charge of investigating six such cases.

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The individuals arrested by the agency have been identified as Afroj Alam, Mohammad Ashraf, Mohammad Imtiaz Alam, Irfan Alam, Kaiser, Mohammad Farid Alam, Mohammad Furkan Alam, Mohammad Pappu, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Sarjan, Mohammad Nurul Hoda alias “Nanua”, Wasim Arya, Mohammad Salahuddin, Mohammad Jannath Alam, Wasim Akram alias “Vicky”, and Mohammad Tanweer Alam – all residents of Dalkhola.

An official confirmed that the NIA is actively conducting further investigations into the case.

Naiteek Bhatt