NIA chargesheets 7 in Beldanga school backyard blast case in Bengal
Dec 13, 2023
New Delhi, December 13 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charge-sheeted seven accused in a case relating to an explosion in a litchi orchard behind Rameswarpur High School in the Beldanga area of Murshidabad in West Bengal.
The anti-terror agency filed the chargesheet in a special NIA court. The explosion took place accidentally on January 17 last year when the accused were in the process of preparing iron socket bombs in the orchard behind the school, located in village Rameswarpur, Babta-II Gram Panchayat, Murshidabad.
Two of the accused, Iyasuddin Sk alias Chadi and Sukchand Ali, were injured in the blast, and the former succumbed to his injuries later. The duo had been fabricating the bombs, along with another accused, Mansur Ali alias Mansur Sheikh and others, behind the school when the explosion occurred.
In his dying statement, Iyasuddin Sk revealed that he had been induced to make the bombs by one Imdadul Hoque, alias Imdarul Hoque, alias Anaj Master, and some others. Imdadul had also provided the explosives and other bomb-making materials for the job.
A total of 75 live socket bombs and other incriminating materials were initially seized from the crime spot, said the NIA.
Subsequently, the agency said, based on the disclosures of two other accused, identified as Masadul Hoque alias Masadul Sk and Habibur Rahaman alias Habu, the police also recovered 12 iron pipes from the spot. Another accused, Tahabul Sk, led the police to the recovery of 35 live iron stick bombs in two lots on March 28 and March 31, 2022, respectively. All the seized live bombs were disposed of after being rendered safe.
As per NIA investigations, all the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy to fabricate and store bombs for use in terror acts to spread fear among the local populace of Rameswarpur and establish their dominance in the entire area.
The NIA had taken over and re-registered the case on September 20, 2022. While the charges against Iyasuddin Sk alias Chadi stand abetted due to his death, the others face prosecution under various sections of the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act, and the UA(P) Act.
