The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday night arrested former Trinamool Congress MLA Saokat Molla in connection with the Bhangar crude bomb blast case, hours after declaring him an absconding accused in the ongoing investigation, officials said. According to investigators, the arrest was made from South 24 Parganas district after an extensive search operation carried out across multiple locations linked to the former legislator.

Molla, who represented the Canning Purba Assembly constituency and won elections in 2016 and 2021, has been identified as a key accused in the case. He was later taken to the NIA office for further questioning, officials added. The case pertains to a crude bomb explosion at Dakshin Bamunia village in South 24 Parganas on March 19, in which one person was killed and three others sustained critical injuries. The explosion reportedly occurred while bombs were being allegedly manufactured at the site, according to investigators.

An NIA official confirmed the arrest and said Molla would be produced before a court, with further legal proceedings to follow. With his arrest, the total number of people taken into custody in the case has risen to four, officials said. The agency has been probing the alleged involvement of multiple individuals in the incident, including those linked to transportation and preparation of explosives.

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The arrest came a day after NIA teams conducted coordinated searches at Molla’s residence and several other locations across South 24 Parganas district, including areas such as Moukhali, Baruipur, and Sonarpur. Earlier, the agency had also arrested the driver of a vehicle allegedly used to transport individuals involved in the bomb-making activity.

However, members of Molla’s family disputed the circumstances of his detention, claiming he was not absconding and had instead surrendered to authorities near the Chingrighata area of Kolkata. His daughter said the family was staying at a hotel at the time and rejected allegations that he was evading investigators. Officials said the investigation is ongoing, and further questioning of the accused and associated individuals will continue to determine the full scope of the conspiracy and the roles played by those involved in the incident.

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