A team of National Investigating Agency (NIA), which is probing bombing incidents near the residence of Barrackpore BJP MP Arjun Singh in North 24-Parganas’ Bhatpara, on Thursday arrested a local Trinamul councillor’s son for his suspected involvement in the crime as well as for stocking bombs and unleashing violence in the area.
Namit Singh, 27, son of Sunita Singh, who represents ward No. 18 in Bhatpara, was arrested from his home following a marathon interrogation on Thursday. He will be produced before an NIA court in Calcutta on Friday, a source said.
Police sources said on March 12, Bhatpara police recovered 45 crude bombs and a firearm from a house allegedly owned by Sunita. The raid was conducted following a clash between two groups of criminals on the previous night.
The arrest was made barely two days after the BJP MP, who has recently become vocal against the party leadership on a number of issues, criticised the slow progress of the NIA’s ongoing probe into the alleged bombing near his home.
Trinamul leaders have alleged that the councillor’s son has been arrested to “pacify the rebel BJP MP”.
Before leaving for New Delhi on Thursday, Arjun, however, refuted Trinamul’s claim and thanked the NIA for the arrest.
“I had enquired why the NIA was taking so long to arrest a small criminal when they take much less time arresting terrorists. I am thankful to the NIA for the arrest,” Arjun said.
The recovery of bombs on March 12 sparked off a controversy as the BJP MP accused the Trinamul leadership of conspiring to kill him. He had informed the Union home ministry about his apprehension and sought an investigation by the NIA, which at that point of time was probing an earlier incident of a bomb attack on Arjun’s home on September 8, 2021.
The NIA eventually took up the March 11 bombing incident and recovery of bombs from Arjun’s home in the ambit of its investigation. But, a spate of bombings in the area continued with the latest one occurring again near the MP’s home on the night of May 9.
Krishna Jaiswal, a local resident was critically injured in the bomb attack. Police had later arrested three persons in connection with the incident.