Setback for Bengal cops: Calcutta HC bars police from arresting NIA officials

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday barred the West Bengal Police from arresting NIA officials, who have been accused of theft and outraging the modesty of women. The police have registered an FIR against NIA officials for alleged molestation in the Bhupatinagar incident after the wife of an arrested TMC leader filed a complaint against them. 

Today, the HC said the police can question the NIA officials through video-conferencing but no arrest was needed.  

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday moved the court, seeking the quashing of an FIR against its officials who went to West Bengal's Bhupatinagar for a raid in connection with the agency’s probe into a blast case. The petition also sought interim protection from any coercive action by the state police against the NIA officials. 

One of the officials was injured in an attack by a mob when they were returning from Bhupatinagar in East Midnapore district on Saturday, after arresting two persons in connection with its investigation into a blast there in December 2022 in which three persons died. 

The attack on the NIA team happened around three months after villagers and locals assaulted a team of Enforcement Department (ED) officers when they went to raid the residence of, now arrested TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh on January 5 in connection with the alleged ration scam.

The West Bengal Police on Tuesday issued summons to the NIA officer, who was injured in the alleged attack, to appear before the investigating officer of the Bhupatinagar police station on April 11. 

The Bhupatinagar police station investigating officer also asked the NIA to bring the vehicle which was damaged allegedly during the attack on Saturday, stating that they want to conduct a forensic test of it. 

The police officer also summoned three villagers from Bhupatinagar for questioning. "The NIA officer has been asked to appear before our officer on April 11. We have also asked them to send the vehicle which was damaged during the attack. We plan to conduct a forensic test on it," a police official told PTI. The villagers have been asked to appear in two to three days, the officer said.

(With inputs from PTi)