The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday launched its probe into the alleged violence during Ram Navami processions in three districts of Bengal, including Howrah, Hooghly and North Dinajpur by formally submitting FIRs into the cases before the NIA special court in Bichar Bhavan in Calcutta.

"Six FIRs were lodged in connection with the probe into alleged cases of violence in Shibpur in Howrah, Serampore and Rishra in Hooghly and Dalkhola in North Dinajpur," said Debasish Mullick Choudhury, NIA advocate. "This is in compliance with an earlier directive by Calcutta High Court. This actually marks the beginning of the formal investigation by the agency into the cases."

A division bench of the high court headed by then acting Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam handed over the probe into cases of violence in three pockets of Bengal during Ram Navami to the central agency on April 27.

During Ram Navami processions, violence erupted in Shibpur and Dalkhola on March 30. On April 4, Rishra witnessed violent scenes when the BJP brought out a rally in the area. Several persons and police personnel were injured, prompting governor C.V. Ananda Bose to visit Rishra.

The BJP blamed the ruling Trinamul and police inaction for the violence and demanded a probe by the NIA.

Senior NIA officials said the FIRs were drawn up on a clutch of sections under the Indian Penal Code including 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 307 (attempt to murder).

"Besides these sections under the IPC, we have added new sections under Section 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act," the lawyer added.

Senior officers said now that FIRs were lodged, separate teams would start visiting the three districts to collect evidence and probe what happened when Ram Navami processions were taken out.

Sources in the NIA said they sent letters to the Howrah and Chandernagore police commissionerates for details of those arrested in the cases.

The high court bench, while passing the order, observed "in the cases on hand, we prima facie find that there has been a deliberate attempt on the part of the concerned police not to register any offence under the provisions of the Explosives Substances Act".

It said there was "mention about acid bottles" and hence "the procedure under Section 6(1) of the NIA Act should have been resorted to". Hence, it concluded, this "is a fit case where the entire investigation should be transferred to the National Investigation Agency."