Soon after a crude bomb exploded in Dakshin Bamunia village in Bhangar on the city’s southeastern fringes on March 19, ahead of the Assembly elections in Bengal, Saokat Molla allegedly issued instructions to some of the injured persons, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) told a court on Saturday while producing the arrested Trinamool leader.
“We have collected call records which reveal that Molla repeatedly spoke to some of the injured immediately after the explosion. It appears that he had passed instructions to other accused persons in this case,” the NIA counsel told a special NIA court in
Bankshall.
“The mobile phone has been sent for a forensic test,” he added.
Around 10pm on Friday, the NIA intercepted Molla, who lost the Bhangar seat to Indian Secular Front (ISF) leader Naushad Siddiqui, at Kamalgazi near Narendrapur.
He was arrested for his alleged involvement in the explosion that killed one person and critically injured three. The central agency had been on Molla’s heels since Thursday.
Molla’s counsel told the court that the former MLA was at his home, nearly 40km from the blast site.
“My client is in no way connected to this blast. Let the police check the details of his location during the incident. As a former MLA who got Z-plus security cover, how can my client be involved with the explosion?” Molla’s lawyer asked. “The complaint lodged was against unknown persons.”
The explosion on March 19 took place allegedly when crude bombs were being manufactured.
The Police found over 75 crude bombs and explosive materials.
They were allegedly stored in an abandoned house near a burial ground in Majerhat village by unidentified persons, the police said.
Immediately after the incident, an FIR was drawn up at Uttar Kashipur police station under Kolkata Police’s Bhangar division.
The case was transferred to the NIA following instructions from the Union home ministry.
Early on Thursday, a NIA team reached Molla’s house in Moukhali village in
South 24-Parganas and instructed his son Iman to join them in their search
operations.
After a day-long search, it appeared that Molla was trying to sneak into Bangladesh through the porous border in the Chunakhali area of Basanti when some villagers identified him and raised an alarm.
Molla fled riding a motorbike, sources said.
Molla was later intercepted on Friday night, though his family members maintained he had surrendered.
