In a major escalation of the federal investigation into pre-election violence, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) launched a sweeping search operation at the residence and office of former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Saukat Mollah in South 24 Parganas district on Thursday morning.
Armed with a team accompanied by Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, the agency carried out extensive raids at Mollah’s home in Moukhali and his professional office as part of its ongoing probe into a deadly bomb blast in Bhangar that occurred ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
The investigation stems from an explosion at Dakshin Bamunia village on March 19, where crude bombs allegedly being manufactured at the site detonated, resulting in one fatality and leaving several others critically injured.
Following intense pressure from opposition groups, including the Indian Secular Front (ISF), which had demanded a central probe, the NIA took over the case to uncover the network behind the incident. Officials involved in the operation confirmed that the primary objective of the raids was to gather forensic evidence and verify information regarding the chain of events leading up to the blast.
A High-Profile Search Operation
As the multi-vehicle NIA convoy descended upon Moukhali, the agency found that Saukat Mollah was not present at his residence. Investigators subsequently brought the former MLA’s son, Imran Mollah, to the premises to assist with the search and provide access to relevant areas of the home.
Throughout the morning, the NIA team combed through documents and records, while simultaneously conducting searches at several other properties in Bamunia village linked to the individuals involved in the aftermath of the explosion. The agency has previously arrested TMC leader Wahidul Islam in connection with the same case, marking a significant development in their efforts to map the conspiratorial landscape of the blast.
The search at Mollah’s residence also drew attention due to the timing of the government’s recent decision to withdraw his security cover. While the former MLA remained elusive during the raid, his family members, including his wife and daughter, arrived at the scene as investigators continued their work.
Local police were deployed in significant numbers to secure the perimeter and manage the crowds that gathered as news of the federal raid spread throughout the Bhangar area.
Growing Political Pressure
The Bhangar region has been a focal point of political tension, with frequent allegations of electoral intimidation and violence plaguing the area in the months leading up to the recent assembly polls. The NIA’s involvement has added a new layer of scrutiny to the political activities of local leaders, with the agency signalling that its probe is far from over.
As investigators sift through the seized materials and continue their interrogation of key witnesses, the focus remains on determining whether the manufacturing of explosives was part of a larger, coordinated strategy to influence the regional election climate.
For the investigative agency, the raid represents a crucial step in fulfilling its mandate to address terror-linked incidents and illegal explosive manufacturing across the state. With the probe moving into a deeper phase of documentation and evidence-linking, the political fallout from the NIA’s presence in South 24 Parganas is expected to intensify, further straining the already volatile relationship between state-level political factions and central investigative authorities.
