A blast in a residential building in Kolkata’s Rajarhat area last night has injured one person and triggered a multi-agency investigation after officials found crude bomb materials at the site. Residents in the Dakshin Narayanpur area of Kolkata are scared, and the explosion has raised another issue of the illegal storage of explosive materials in residential areas.
Police said the explosion was caused by explosives used in the production of crude bombs. One person has been arrested for questioning, and a search is on for the prime suspect, Mohammed Shamim alias Salim, who lives in Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas district.
The investigation has involved the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police, the state fire and emergency services, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
NIA Takes Cognisance of Explosion
A team from the National Investigation Agency visited the explosion site after taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the officials said. They visited the damaged building, spoke with local residents in the Suparibagan area of Rajarhat, and gathered preliminary information on the circumstances leading to the blast.
The NIA will then prepare a detailed report and submit it to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Based on the findings, the Centre will decide whether the case should be formally handed over to the NIA for a full-fledged investigation.
At the same time, teams from the CID and fire department were also on the scene, collected forensic evidence, and sanitisation was made for the site to ensure there were no remaining explosive materials in the building.
Crude Bomb Fragments Recovered
Investigators found raw materials and fragments that they thought were associated with crude bomb production at the blast site. Explosive ingredients stored in the room were believed to have detonated accidentally, said officials.
The building suffered only a few structural damages, but the explosion was big enough that residents of nearby homes ran out of their homes in panic after hearing the loud explosion.
The materials recovered are now being analyzed to establish their composition and if they were intended for illegal activities.
Building Owner Questioned
Police also questioned Zulfikar Ansari, the owner of the building, about how the tenancy was done.
Ansari explained that Salim, the prime accused, had approached him through a local broker named Shahenshah about renting a room. Ansari, however, said that no formal tenancy agreement had been signed and that police verification had not yet been completed.
He said Salim had only been allowed to visit the premises to clean the room before officially moving in.
"The tenant was supposed to start living at the property from Monday. He was introduced through a local broker. I had not completed the tenancy agreement or informed the police before the explosion occurred," Ansari said, according to the investigators.
In the meantime, police have detained broker Shahenshah for questioning.
Investigation Continues
Law enforcement agencies are now trying to find out why explosive materials were allegedly inside the residential building and if the accused had links to any larger network involved in manufacturing crude bombs.
Investigators are also looking at the backgrounds of those connected to the property and conducting electronic evidence, witness statements, and forensic evidence analysis.
It has once again brought up the problem of improper handling of explosive materials in densely populated urban areas. All aspects of the case are being investigated and strict action will be taken against those responsible, officials said.
As the investigation continues, the Ministry of Home Affairs will review the NIA’s preliminary report and decide whether it should take full control of the case or if the West Bengal Police will continue leading the investigation while efforts are underway to arrest the prime accused.
