NIA intensifies investigation into BJP president’s murder case

Kolkata, September 10 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigators have intensified their investigation into the murder of the BJP leader in Moyna in East Midnapore district of West Bengal.

NIA investigators conducted raids and searches at several locations on Monday evening in connection with the assassination of BJP campaign leader Bijay Krishna Bhuiyan in May last year.

However, local NIA officials remain silent about the results of their operations on Monday evening.

The NIA took over the investigation into the case after a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, Jay Sengupta, passed an order to that effect in April.

Initially, the West Bengal Police investigated the case. However, the victim's relatives approached the Calcutta High Court demanding a probe by a central agency, alleging that the state police were trying to “rescue” the culprits, who were active members of the Trinamool Congress.

Bhuiyan was abducted from his residence and his body was later recovered from nearby areas. According to preliminary investigations, he was hit on the head with heavy and blunt objects, which led to his death.

The development sparked massive protests in the area the following day and created tensions that led to clashes between police and protesting BJP supporters.

During the hearing, the single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court also found serious lapses in the investigation by the state police.

One such error was that the discovery of a bomb near the crime scene was not mentioned in the indictment. At the same time, the names of the witnesses were also missing.

The East Midnapore district police authorities also faced the wrath of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Vice Chairman Arun Halder for their lax investigation into the matter.