NIA Files Chargesheet Against 6 In West Bengal's 2022 Bhupatinagar Blast Case

Three people were killed in the explosion in a house near TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee's rally venue in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur in December 2022.

NIA has filed a chargesheet in Bhupatinagar blast case in West Bengal/Representational Image. (Image Source: PTI)

The National Investigation Agency filed a supplementary chargesheet on Thursday against three people in connection with the 2022 Bhupatinagar blast case in West Bengal, said the officials. Three people were killed as a bomb exploded in a house near Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee's rally venue in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district on December 2, 2022.

The agency has named Panchanan Ghorai, Manobrata Jana and Balai Charan Maity as accused in the chargesheet, besides Raj Kumar Manna, Biswajit Gayen and Buddhadeb Manna who were killed in the blast. The chargesheet was filed before a special court in Kolkata, reported PTI. 

Jana and Maity are in judicial custody, while Ghorai is on bail, said the NIA, adding that proceedings against Raj Kumar Manna, Buddhadeb Manna and Gayen have been abated. 

"All the six charge-sheeted accused were found to be actively involved in the criminal conspiracy related to the bomb blast which took place at Naruabila village on December 2, 2022," the spokesperson of the NIA said.

The agency took over the investigation from the state police on June 4 last year and has filed its chargesheet under the Indian Penal Code and the Explosives Substance Act.

The agency said that the criminal conspiracy involving the supply of explosives for making bombs to spread terror and violence in the region has been exposed in the case. 

Following the blast in 2022, the police said in a statement: "The blast was reported in a house around 11.15 pm on Friday and three bodies were recovered on Saturday morning." "A few others are injured. The cause of the blast is yet to be ascertained and further investigation is underway," it had said.               

Days after the blast, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an investigation conducted into the matter by the NIA.