21 hours ago
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The National Investigation Agency connected Friday (June 5, 2026) nighttime arrested erstwhile Trinamool Congress MLA Saokat Molla, the premier fishy successful the Bhangar blast case, from West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, hours aft declaring him arsenic 'absconding'.
One idiosyncratic was killed, and 3 others were critically injured successful the crude weaponry detonation astatine Dakshin Bamunia colony successful South 24 Parganas territory connected March 19, portion bombs were allegedly being made there.
"We person arrested Saokat Molla arsenic portion of the ongoing probe into the Bhangar weaponry blast case. He volition beryllium produced earlier a tribunal tomorrow, and further ineligible proceedings volition follow," an NIA authoritative told PTI.
With the TMC leader's arrest, the full fig of radical held successful the lawsuit has gone up to four.
Molla, the ex-MLA from Canning Purba, was taken to the NIA bureau for questioning pursuing his arrest, the authoritative said, adding that the biker with whom the accused was riding pillion was besides held.
However, members of Molla's household claimed that helium was detained from the Chingrighata country of Kolkata and had surrendered earlier the bureau sleuths.
"My begetter was not astatine home. He had gone retired for idiosyncratic work. He surrendered to the authorities. We (our household members and my father) were astatine a edifice adjacent Chingrighata and not anyplace adjacent Kamalgazi," Molla's girl told reporters.
The apprehension came a time aft the cardinal bureau conducted extended searches astatine Molla's residence and respective different locations linked to him crossed the South 24 Parganas district. NIA teams had raided premises successful Moukhali, Baruipur and Sonarpur connected Thursday (June 4, 2026) arsenic portion of the investigation.
On Thursday, the NIA arrested the operator of the four-wheeler utilized to transport the weaponry makers. Incidentally, Molla, who represented the Canning Purba Assembly constituency and won elections successful 2016 and 2021, saw his information screen withdrawn precocious by the State government.
The NIA had earlier served a summons announcement connected Molla done his household members and questioned his lad during the investigation, officials said.
