KOLKATA: The NIA, which is investigating the recent blast in Burdwan district of West Bengal, feels that the state government tried to down play the incident, in which two Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh terrorists were killed, and the state police did not properly investigate it.
NIA DG Sharad Kumar on Friday arrived here and inspected the site of the October 2 blast. He also went to neighbouring Murshidabad district which shares borders with Bangladesh.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials, investigating the blast and alleged terrorist activities going on in several madrasas in the state, briefed the DG and also expressed unhappiness over not being able to interrogate Abdul Hakim, the injured Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh terrorist who is undergoing treatment at a government hospital here.
Kumar also visited a madrasa in Shimulia, 40 kms from the blast spot, where youths, including women, were indoctrinated in jehadi philosophy and were given arms training as well as another madrasa in Beldanga in Murshidabad district.
He also inspected the Murshidabad-Bangladesh route which was used by the terrorists. He said, “I am here to review the investigation along with my officials. I visited Burdwan and Murshidabad districts. Beyond this I cannot reveal anything more as the investigation is on.”
Kumar is scheduled to return to New Delhi on Saturday and submit his preliminary report to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The NIA DG also held a meeting with BSF officials and discussed the issue of infiltration from Bangladesh.
The Centre had ordered NIA probe on October 9, seven days after the blast, and the district police had already detonated the explosives recovered from the blast site on the banks of the Damodar.
The state government had kept on opposing the NIA probe. The NIA is also working out a strategy to arrest people who are involved in the blast and terrorist activities in the state.
The investigating agency has also received reports about politicians who patronised terrorists from Bangladesh and helped them to set up explosive manufacturing units in at lease six districts located along the border with Bangladesh.
It is also probing allegations that funds from multi-crore Saradha scam were used to finance terrorist activities and the alleged involvement of Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Hassan aka Imran.
The NIA has found links between banned SIMI, whose members had also robbed a bank, and the blast and arms training in the madrasas.