Court acquits 3 arrested by NIA in connection with crude bomb attack on Trinamool MLA

Kolkata, Sep 24 (IANS) A court here on Wednesday acquitted three persons who were arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly orchestrating the bomb attack on Trinamool Congress MLA and former West Bengal minister Jakir Hossain. The Bankshall Court acquitted the three accused due to lack of proper evidence against them.

In 2021, the former minister of state for Labour department Jakir Hossain and his followers were injured after miscreants lobbed crude bombs on them at Nimtita railway station in Murshidabad district.

Hossain was scheduled to take a train to Kolkata to attend Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's workers' meet in Kolkata when crude bombs were hurled at them.

Following the attack, Hossain and his injured followers were taken to Jangipur sub-divisional hospital for treatment.

Later, he was shifted to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata for treatment. He was in a critical condition for several days.

Gradually, his condition improved and was eventually released from the hospital. He had received a serious injury on one of his hands.

The CID had started an investigation into the matter. Later, on orders of the Central government, the NIA took over the investigation of the incident.

The investigators arrested three persons named Isha Khan, Abu Samad and Saidul Islam in connection with the incident. A charge sheet was also submitted against them.

At the hearing on Wednesday, it was learned that the National Investigation Agency could not collect solid evidence against the arrested persons.

None of the arrested persons could be identified and no explosives were recovered from them.

The NIA also could not even prove that the then minister was traveling or was going to travel in the Teesta-Torsa Express.

The court also raised the question -- how is it possible that none of Jakir Hossain's twelve security guards at that time was injured during the attack.

After the hearing, the court acquitted all three arrested persons due to lack of proper evidence.

--IANS

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