Bengal: NIA arrests former TMC MLA Saokat Molla in pre-poll Bhangar blast case

According to sources, Saokat was intercepted and arrested at an undisclosed location in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, while he was reportedly on his way to the NIA office in New Town, on Kolkata’s northern outskirts, to surrender voluntarily.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested former Trinamool Congress MLA Saokat Molla in connection with the bomb blast case in Bhangar, located in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district.

According to reports, Molla allegedly attempted to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh through the coastal border areas of South 24 Parganas on Thursday. However, he was spotted by local residents near the border-adjacent Chunakhali area and was pursued by villagers, though he managed to escape at that point.

Earlier on Friday, several close associates of Saokat were produced before a lower court in Kolkata. Simultaneously, state and central security forces sealed all routes leading to the coastal border areas of South 24 Parganas district.

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NIA officials maintained heightened surveillance across the region. According to sources, Saokat was intercepted and arrested at an undisclosed location in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, while he was reportedly on his way to the NIA office in New Town, on Kolkata’s northern outskirts, to surrender voluntarily.

Earlier in the day, the NIA carried out extensive searches as part of its investigation into the Bhangar bomb blast case and arrested another accused.

With the arrest of Sainur Molla, who allegedly drove the Scorpio vehicle used to transport the bomb makers involved in the incident, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to three, according to an NIA statement issued on Thursday.

The explosion reportedly occurred while the accused and their associates were manufacturing crude bombs ahead of the recent West Bengal Assembly elections.

During the searches, investigators recovered and seized several incriminating materials, documents, electronic devices, and digital evidence, all of which have been sent for forensic analysis.

NIA investigations found that following the explosion, accused Sainur Molla allegedly drove the Scorpio vehicle that was used to transport the individual who died in the blast, along with several others who sustained injuries.

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