The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested absconding former MLA Saokot Molla, the prime suspect in West Bengal’s Bhangar bomb blast case. Saokat Molla has been identified as the key conspirator in the case.
Saokat Molla was an MLA from Canning Purba constituency in Bengal, a seat he won twice, in 2016 and 2021, on Trinamool Congress ticket.
Molla, who had been on the run, was picked up from the state’s South 24 Parganas district following continued searches by NIA as part of its investigation in the case, in which a crude bomb had exploded during manufacturing ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections. The explosion had killed one of the bomb makers and injured others.
The 4th accused to be arrested in the case, the ex MLA was the key conspirator who had directed the other accused to make the bomb, NIA found during investigation. Molla had also directed other accused to tamper the scene of the explosion, the probe has further revealed.
His arrest has come soon after another accused, who had transported the deceased and the injured around in his Scorpio vehicle after the blast, was apprehended.
The arrested accused are being examined to ascertain any further conspiracy related to the case, which NIA had taken over from the state police on the orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
