NIA files supplementary charge sheet against 2 accused in explosive seizure case in WB

PTI, Jun 29, 2023, 8:36 AM IST

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed its first supplementary charge sheet in the case of seizure of a huge cache of electric and non-electric detonators and explosives in West Bengal’s Birbhum district in June 2022.

The NIA also raided illegal godowns of a suspected person linked to the case on Wednesday, leading to the fresh recovery of arms and explosives, a spokesperson of the agency said.

The raids were conducted on the illegal godowns, being run by Manoj Ghosh, at two locations in Birbhum district, the official said.

The NIA said a large quantity of ammonium nitrate, one country-made pistol, some live ammunition, gelatin sticks and incriminating documents were seized in these raids.

The agency’s first supplementary charge sheet in the case was filed against two accused, taking the total number of those charge-sheeted to seven.

Five accused were named in the original charge-sheet filed in April this year.

The case was registered in September 2022 following the seizure of around 81,000 electric detonators from a vehicle in the Md Bazar Police Station area in Birbhum by a team of Special Task Force, West Bengal.

The vehicle’s driver, Ashish Keora, was also arrested, and subsequent searches had led to the seizure of another 2,525 electric detonators, 27,000 kg of ammonium nitrate and 1,625 kg of gelatin sticks from an illegal godown, the spokesperson said.

The official identified the duo charge-sheeted on Wednesday as Merajuddin Ali Khan from Jharkhand and Mir Md Nuruzzaman of West Bengal. They have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Explosive Substances Act.

NIA investigations have revealed that Khan had supplied the electric detonators and gelatin sticks to Rintu Sk alias ”Muntaj Ali”, one of the five accused charge-sheeted earlier.

Nuruzzaman had illegally supplied 27,000 kg ammonium nitrate to Rintu, the spokesperson said, adding the duo had also prepared forged and fabricated documents, which they uploaded on Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation website to cover up their crimes.

The seized documents showed that Khan had illegally supplied a total 86,700 kg of gelatine sticks, 4,99,222 electric detonators and 204 Nonels (non-electric detonators) to various illegal miners so far.

These included the detonators and explosives seized in the instant case, into which further investigations are continuing, the spokesperson said.