Video: Man carries bag to room, bomb goes off minutes later in Kolkata; 2 detained
A crude bomb blast inside a residential building in Kolkata's New Town area left one person injured on Friday evening, triggering a multi-agency investigation after
A crude bomb blast inside a residential building in Kolkata's New Town area left one person injured on Friday evening, triggering a multi-agency investigation after CCTV footage captured a man placing a bag inside the premises moments before the explosion. Two people have been detained in connection with the case, while the Investigation Agency (NIA) has begun a preliminary probe. The blast damaged parts of the building, and investigators recovered explosives from the site. Read Full Story CCTV footage shows a man entering the building with a white jute bag, placing it inside a ground-floor room before leaving. Minutes later, a powerful explosion rocks the building, sending debris flying and causing panic among residents. The blast occurred in the Dakshin Narayanpur area of Rajarhat at around 8 pm, partially damaging the residential structure in the densely populated Suparibagan locality.
Police suspect crude bombs or explosive materials stored inside the room triggered the explosion. An NIA team visited the site on Saturday, inspected the blast location and interacted with local residents. Officials said the agency has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and will submit a preliminary report to the Union Home Ministry, which will decide whether the case should be handed over to the NIA. Until then, the investigation remains with the New Town police. Personnel from the state fire services, the Special Task Force and the CID's Bomb Disposal Squad also reached the spot to secure the area. The CID recovered two live crude bombs from the house, while fragments of several crude bombs and raw materials suspected to have been used for making explosives were also seized.
Police said Md Shamim alias Salim, the prime suspect from Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas, remains absconding. Shahenshah, the local broker who allegedly introduced Salim to the property owner, and another person have been detained for questioning. Building owner Zulfikar Ansari said Salim had approached him through Shahenshah to rent a room and was only allowed to clean the premises before tenancy formalities were completed. "The tenant was supposed to start living at the property from Monday. He was introduced to me by a local broker, Shahenshah, connected to the BJP. I did not grant the tenant full access to the property until I drew up the tenancy agreement and informed the police about his stay. I only allowed him to visit the place to clean up the room.
The BriefWire