Police seize vehicle loaded with explosives at Bengal’s Duttapukur, detain owner

Kolkata: The West Bengal Police have seized a car loaded with explosives from Jessore Road in Duttapukur area in North 24 Parganas district of the state, officials said on Thursday.

The car was seized late Wednesday night, and its owner has been detained and is being questioned, the police official said.

Considering the seriousness of the matter, the sleuths from three agencies, namely the Special Task Force (STF), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Bomb Disposal Squad, reached the spot immediately.

Even the state unit of the National Security Guard reached the spot. As per the latest information available, the NSG personnel have surrounded the spot since night.

The investigation is underway to find out where the gunpowder and explosives were being taken in the car during the festive season. Sources have informed that the car was coming towards Kolkata.

Sources aware of the developments have also informed that the explosives recovered from the car have been sent for forensic examination.

According to police sources, the spot where the vehicle loaded with explosives was recovered was quite close to the India-Bangladesh border in the district. Precisely, that is why the sleuths suspect the possibility of involvement of foreign links behind the development.

The owner of the car is Rakibul Islam. He also owns a car showroom and has two houses. He lives in a house with his family members, and the other one is rented out. The investigators also went to Islam's house and questioned his family members

The incident has spread panic in the area, especially when the seizure was done on the night of Vijaya Dashami. The investigators confiscated Islam's two mobile phones and a laptop. They are investigating whether any clues can be found from these devices.

It is learnt that Islam, who initially worked as a motor mechanic, saw a meteoric rise in financial fortune during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress regime.

He quickly owned a car showroom during that period and also became the owner of two houses, both quite luxurious.

Islam, according to sources, has denied the ownership of the explosives-loaded vehicle during the interrogation.

The State Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development Minister, Dilip Ghosh, told media persons on Thursday that during the previous Trinamool Congress' regime, the miscreants freely moved around bringing explosives within the state.

“But now a nationalist government is there in the state, and hence actions are being taken against these elements,” Ghosh said.

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