NIA gets two-day custody of Trinamool councillor Shakir Ali in Ram Navami violence case

Kolkata, July 1 (IANS) Trinamool Congress councillor Shakir Ali, husband of former Trinamool MP Aparupa Poddar, was sent to two days’ National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody in connection with a 2023 Ram Navami violence case.

On Tuesday, Trinamool Congress councillor of Rishra Municipality in Hooghly district, Shakir Ali, husband of Aparupa Poddar, was arrested by the NIA in connection with the 2023 Ram Navami violence case. On Wednesday, he was produced before an NIA Special Court, where the central investigation agency sought his custody to question him about his alleged role in the violence.

The NIA claimed in court that Shakir was the main conspirator behind creating chaos in the area on the day of Ram Navami in 2023. The central agency also claimed that the collection of bricks and bombs was carried out on his instructions.

It may be noted that Rishra in Hooghly district witnessed unrest in 2023 during the Ram Navami procession. At that time, panic spread in the area due to bomb attacks, vandalism and arson. The lives of ordinary residents practically came to a standstill. The situation had reached such a point that the administration had to impose a virtual curfew for a few days to maintain law and order.

At the time of the incident, the then BJP leader Dilip Ghosh had left the area after attending a programme. It is alleged that violence broke out shortly after his departure.

The NIA recently arrested Shakir Ali while investigating the case and sought two days’ custody from the court. Investigators claimed that 36 rounds of ammunition had been recovered from Shakir’s house. Initial investigations revealed that they were not meant for a single type of weapon. As a result, the cartridges will be sent for forensic examination to determine the weapons for which they were intended.

During the hearing, the judge asked the NIA counsel why custody was being sought after such a long period, given that the case was registered in 2023. In response, the NIA claimed that Shakir could not be arrested earlier. It was also alleged that he had not been cooperating with the investigation.

The judge then asked the investigating officer in the case to explain the requirement for custody. The investigator said that, apart from the material seized by the local police, he had personally visited the area and collected CCTV footage.

The footage reportedly showed that many vehicles were vandalised during the unrest, but no one attacked a white car. Investigators claimed that the vehicle was used by Shakir Ali. It was also claimed that he was seen leading the unrest in the CCTV footage.

After the hearing, the court granted two days’ NIA custody to Ali.

–IANS

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