NIA Begins Probe Into West Bengal’s Ram Navami Violence

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into the violence that occurred during the Ram Navami procession in West Bengal.

The NIA has registered six new FIRs under the Explosive Substance Act in relation to the violence in Howrah and Hooghly districts on March 30.

Earlier, the Calcutta High Court ordered an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into Ram Navami violence in West Bengal.

During the Ram Navami celebrations in March, communal violence rocked West Bengal’s Howrah. Several vehicles were torched, stones pelted by mobs, and shops were ransacked during violent clashes in the Howrah district. Several cars as well as police vehicles were damaged during this communal violence. In many places, the police had to fire teargas shells to disperse the violent mob.

Later these communal clashes spread out to other parts of the state especially the regions adjoining the Howrah district. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Ram Navami procession had taken an unauthorized route in Howrah to “particularly target and attack one community”. The BJP protested the CM’s statement. State BJP president Sukant Majumdar said, “TMC is lying because it was not the wrong route. There was permission till Howrah ground and this was the only route to go there.”