Kolkata: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday raided the house of former Trinamool Congress MLA Saokat Molla in South 24 Parganas district.
NIA officials went to Saokat’s house in Jibantala village in the Canning block of the district. The search operation began in the presence of a large number of Central force personnel. The investigators are also searching the party office adjacent to Saokat’s house.
However, it was initially reported that Saokat was not at home at the time of the raid. The investigators were questioning his son, Imran Molla. Saokat’s wife and daughter were also in the house.
According to NIA sources, the search operation is in connection with the investigation into the bomb blast incident in the South Bamunia area in the same district.
The blast occurred a few days before the state Assembly elections in which one person died, and several others were injured.
Nawsad Siddiqui’s party, Indian Secular Front (ISF), had demanded an NIA investigation into the incident. Later, the NIA took over the responsibility of the investigation. As part of the probe, the NIA was conducting the raid at Saokat’s house and his party office. Sources said that Saokat fled the house before NIA officers came for the raid.
More details are awaited.
Earlier, the NIA had arrested several people, including Trinamool leader Wahidul Islam, in the investigation of the bomb blast.
Saokat is a former Trinamool MLA from Canning Purba constituency. He was elected from this constituency twice in a row in 2016 and 2021.
He contested the 2026 Assembly election from the Bhangar constituency in South 24 Parganas district, but lost to ISF candidate Nawsad. Since then, he has not been seen much in public. However, on Wednesday, after Ritabrata Banerjee was recognised as the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Saokat went to the Assembly and met him. He is known to be close to Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and helped him gain ground in South 24 Parganas district as a party strongman.
(IANS)
