Amidst heightened political tensions between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, the West Bengal Police has taken a significant step by filing a molestation and house trespassing case against officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). This move comes in the aftermath of a controversial raid conducted by the NIA in East Medinipur district linked to the 2002 bomb blast case.
The FIR, filed by the West Bengal Police, alleges misconduct against NIA officials, including molestation, following an attack on the NIA team during their raid in East Medinipur district.
The incident has stirred up a fierce political battle between the TMC and the BJP in the state.
According to reports, the FIR was lodged by the district police based on a complaint filed by a woman who accused NIA officials of assaulting her and her husband during the raid, as well as outraging her modesty. The FIR includes multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), such as 325, 34, 354, 354(b), 427, 448, and 509.
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The controversy erupted when the NIA team faced resistance from a mob while attempting to arrest TMC members Manobrata Jana and Bailicharan Maity in connection with the 2022 Bhupatinagar blast, which resulted in three fatalities.
In response to these allegations, Moni Jana, the wife of Manobrata Jana, filed a complaint with the Bhupatinagar police station, accusing NIA officers of attempting to outrage her modesty and vandalizing their residence during the raid. IPC Section 354, about assaulting a woman to outrage her modesty, was invoked in her complaint.
The police are currently investigating the matter and have not made any arrests in connection with the alleged attack on the NIA officers. Meanwhile, the NIA has issued a statement defending its actions, asserting that they were conducted following the law as part of their ongoing investigation into the fabrication of crude bombs, which resulted in the deadly explosion.
As tensions escalate and investigations continue, the case remains a focal point of contention between political factions in West Bengal.
