NIA takes over investigation into attack on BJP leader’s car in West Bengal

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe into the attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Priyangu Pandey's car. The incident occurred on the night of August 28, while Pandey was travelling towards the residence of former MP Arjun Singh in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, according to ANI.

As per ANI, a group of over 50 individuals, armed with dangerous weapons, including crude bombs, allegedly launched an assault on Pandey's vehicle at approximately 8:30 pm. This attack left Pandey's driver, Ravi Verma, and his associate, Rabi Singh, with gunshot wounds, according to the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the police.

Pandey has accused members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of orchestrating the attack, claiming that TMC workers opened fire on him and hurled explosives while he was travelling through Bhatpara, ANI reported. Former MP Arjun Singh also supported these allegations, naming local Trinamool leaders, including Tarun Sau and MLA Somnath Shyam, as the alleged masterminds behind the incident. According to Singh, the attackers were brought in from the nearby Kakinara area, as per ANI.

Following the incident, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari shared a video clip on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that it showed a TMC assailant opening fire on Pandey's vehicle. "TMC goon opening fire on eminent BJP Leader Priyangu Pandey's vehicle at Bhatpara. The driver of the vehicle is shot," Adhikari wrote, ANI noted.

The case, initially handled by the West Bengal Police, was transferred to the NIA on October 1 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which cited the serious nature of the incident and its potential impact on public safety, according to ANI. The NIA re-registered the FIR under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, the Arms Act 1959, and the Explosive Substances Act 1908, ANI reported.

The FIR recounts that the mob not only fired gunshots but also hurled "multiple crude bombs and other explosive items" around the vehicle. The assault left Verma and Singh severely injured, requiring urgent medical attention at AMRI nursing home in Kolkata, ANI reported.

In taking up the case, the NIA will investigate the violent attack by an armed mob, which aimed to spread terror among the general public. This step signals the seriousness with which authorities are treating incidents involving explosives and firearms used to intimidate, ANI concluded.

(With inputs from ANI)