NIA officials deployed in seven Bengal Assembly seats for second phase of polls

Kolkata: NIA officials have been deployed in at least seven Assembly seats of West Bengal where the second phase of polling is underway on Wednesday, after the Election Commission asked the federal probe agency to ensure bombs are not used to disrupt polling.

The sleuths of the federal anti-terror agency have been deployed in seven Assembly seats, including Kasba, Bhangar, Baruipur, and Bishnupur, an official said.

"Yes, the NIA has been assigned to booths in these places. The decision was taken based on specific inputs," he said, adding that Bhangar have been included in the list due to its history of poll-related violence.


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The directive comes after the recovery of crude bombs in the poll-bound state and reports of a minor blast. On April 26, police recovered crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district.

Later, on a directive by the Union Home Ministry, the NIA registered a case to probe the recovery of 79 crude bombs in the state.

In pursuance of the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata, on Saturday, and took up the investigation.

While the first phase of polling remained largely peaceful with only sporadic incidents, police reported disturbances in certain areas ahead of the second phase. Armed patrols have been conducted extensively, covering main roads as well as interior lanes.

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The deployment also follows recent directives from the Supreme Court of India allowing the poll panel to involve central agencies in investigations, including a recent incident in Malda where judicial officials engaged in SIR were gheraoed by people protesting the deletion of names under the exercise.