NEW DELHI: In a major move, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation of an attack on BJP leader Priyangu Pandeyโs vehicle in the North 24 Parganas region of West Bengal. On the evening of August 28, Pandey was travelling to the home of former MP Arjun Singh when the event happened. The assault, which allegedly involved more than fifty people with firearms and improvised bombs, injured Pandeyโs driver, Ravi Verma, and another acquaintance, Rabi Singh, with bullet wounds.
Pandeyโs statement claimed that the attack was planned by Trinamool Congress (TMC) members. He said his car was travelling through the Bhatpara region when TMC members tossed bombs and opened fire on it. Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP leaders posted video evidence on social media that allegedly showed gunfire being fired at Pandeyโs vehicle. Adhikari wrote on X (previously Twitter) that Pandey and his companions were the targets of an attack that was planned by โTMC goons.โ
ALSO READ: Govt to pursue Statehood, Constitutional Rights for J&K
Prominent TMC figures Tarun Sau and MLA Somnath Shyam were also blamed by BJPโs Arjun Singh, who claimed that the attackers were recruited from the neighbouring Kakinara district to carry out the attack. The NIAโs October 1 First Information Report (FIR) details the incident at approximately 8:30 p.m. The seriousness of the charges is highlighted by the FIRโs citation of many sections from the Explosive Substances Act of 1908, the Arms Act of 1959, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023.
In addition to causing injuries, the incident caused anxiety among the locals as crude bombs were thrown around the car. The investigation was made more urgent because both injured people were very ill when they were brought to a hospital in Kolkata.
ALSO READ: Ineffectiveness of firecracker bans
Given the scope and gravity of the incident, the Ministry of Home Affairs moved the case from West Bengal Police to the NIA. The governmentโs will to thoroughly investigate and address politically motivated violence is demonstrated by the NIAโs takeover, particularly as political tensions in West Bengal continue to increase. Now, it is up to the NIA to investigate every possibility, including possible political objectives, and find the attackโs perpetrators.
