After Guv Dhankar’s Demand for Probe, NIA Takes Over Jakir Hossain Case

The National Investigation Agency has taken over the Jakir Hossain case wherein the labour minister was attacked at the Nimtita Railway station in West Bengal recently. The NIA FIR has been under IPC sections 326 (causing grievous hurt); 120 B (criminal conspiracy); 307 (attempt to murder); and Explosives Act Section 3 and 4.

Home Ministry officials told CNN-News18 that the file was cleared on Tuesday and even though terror charges have not been mentioned, a scheduled offence is made out under the Explosives Act. As per the NIA charter, the agency can only probe scheduled offences.

West Bengal Minister Jakir Hossain and some of his supporters were injured after some unidentified attackers hurled crude bombs at them at Nimtita railway station, in Murshidabad district, on February 17. Preliminary investigation by police said the attack happened at around 9.45 pm when the minister of state for labour was waiting on Platform No. 2 to catch a train to Kolkata.

The attack was mired in political controversy with allegations of the attack being orchestrated because of Hossain’s alleged closeness to TMC-turned-BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. Speculations were also made that the attack had links to the cow smuggling gang active on the Bengal-Bangladesh border.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said the attack on Hossain was a conspiracy while Governor Jaideep Dhankar had demanded a NIA probe.