NIA Arrests 16 In West Bengal Ram Navmi Violence Case

New Delhi, February 27 (TNA) In a breakthrough in the West Bengal Ram Navami violence case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested 16 persons for conspiring and carrying out a communal attack during a religious procession.

The arrests have been made based on revelations that came to light during the probe, and the identification of the accused from video footage of the violence seized in the course of the investigations.

The incident took place on 30th March 2023 during a procession to celebrate Ram Navami in Dalkhola, District Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal. The accused were among the perpetrators of the attack on members of a particular community participating in the procession.

The State police had initially registered a case against 162 persons in the wake of the communal violence triggered by the attack at Tajamul Chawk, Uttar Dalkhola. Subsequently, the High Court of Calcutta, on 27th April 2023, ordered the transfer of cases related to communal violence during Ram Navami celebrations to NIA. Accordingly, NIA took up an investigation of 6 such cases, including the instant case.

The 16 accused taken into custody by NIA have been identified as Afroj Alam, Md Ashraf, Md. Imtiaz Alam, Irfan, Kaiser, Md. Farid Alam, Md. Furkan Alam, Md. Pappu, Md. Suleman, Md. Sarjan, Md. Nurul Hoda, Wasim Arya, Md. Salahuddin, Md. Jannath, Wasim Akram and Md. Tanweer Alam. All of them are residents of Dalkhola. NIA is continuing with further investigations in the case.