NIA arrests key accused in 2022 Bhupatinagar bomb blast case

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested one more accused in connection with the 2022 Bhupatinagar bomb blast case in West Bengal that claimed three lives, officials said on Sunday.

Pachanan Ghorai, a resident of Bhupatinagar in Purba Medinipur district, was arrested on Friday following sustained efforts by the chief investigating officer of the case, an official statement said.

A non-bailable warrant was issued against the accused during the course of the probe, it added.

The high-intensity blast in the house of Raj Kumar Manna killed the owner on the spot, and caused serious injuries to Buddhadeb Manna alias Lalu and Biswajit Gayen, who succumbed to their injuries later, the statement said.

The NIA, which took over the investigation from the state police on December 20, 2022, found out that the blast was the result of a criminal conspiracy relating to the supply of explosives for making crude bombs to spread terror and violence in the area, the probe agency said.