No headway in Burdwan blast probe

“We are trying to find if any member of the group had any links with underground outfits in Bangladesh,” said Director General of Police G M P Reddy assuring that the case is being thoroughly investigated.

A report submitted by Burdwan SP on the blast indicated that some members of the group could have links with the Jamat in Bangladesh.

Sources said the investigators are contacting Bangladesh authorities for more details on Shakil’s background. “We are collecting information on his background and verifying his Bangladesh links. In Nadia, we do not have any criminal record against him. But we are interrogating his father-in-law to know more about him,” said SP of Nadia district, Arnab Ghosh.

According to the information gathered by police, Shakil had crossed into India from Bangladesh in 2009 and started staying at Barbakpur village in Karimpur in Nadia district, five km from the international border.

Also known as Shameem and Salim Gazi, he managed to procure Indian voter ID card a year later by introducing his father-in- law Azizul Gazi as his “father”.

According to the CID, Shakil had deep religious moorings and used to deliver speeches in a madrasa in Simulia in Burdwan on issues relating to protection of Muslims in the border areas.

Meanwhile, the CID got the custody of Hassem Mollah, who was arrested from Purbasthali on Sunday. Teams of CID also conducted raids at Simulia, Mangalkot and Purbashthali in Burdwan.

Sketches of two other suspects, identified as Abul Kalam and Kausar, were released and distributed to all police stations across the state.

Amidst the demand for handing over the probe to National Investigation Agency (NIA) by the BJP, a top NIA official said that they have not yet received any order from the Union Home Ministry to visit the spot and take over the probe. “We can visit the spot only if the (Union) Home Ministry issues orders. As of now, we have not received any such instruction,” said IG (NIA) P V Ramasastry.

BJP steps up heat on Mamata government

BY: Liz Mathew

The BJP, which has prepared a blueprint to emerge as the alternative political force in West Bengal, seemed to have received a shot in the arm with Mamata Banerjee’s reluctance on handing over the Burdwan explosion case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Having decided to intensify its political fight against the state government, the BJP pointed out that the Burdwan incident had exposed the state government’s links with jihadi elements and it will embarrass India internationally.

“It’s a serious embarrassment,” said Sidharth Nath Singh, national secretary of the BJP. “We are in a federal structure and the Centre cannot impose its decisions. But we cannot compromise on the issue of national security. At a certain stage if the CM does not relent, the Constitution has to play its role,” Singh said.

He cited reports that the improvised explosive devices, detonators and SIM cards, printed material that mentioned al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri and Jamaat-e-Islami were covered from the site.

The BJP leader said the CM needs to explain why there was a hesitation in handing over the case to the NIA; why a police officer, who is known to be close to the TMC leadership, has been allowed to probe the case in which the party’s local leaders are under scanner; and why the leadership had backed Ahmed Hassan Imran, a founder member of banned outfit SIMI, to become the Rajya Sabha MP.

“The same police officer, S M H Mirza, SP of the district, was one of those who were transferred by the Election Commission before the Lok Sabha election because of his proximity with the TMC. Now the same police officer is probing a case in which the TMC leader is involved. Where is the credibility,” Singh asked.