In June 2022, a Tata Sumo car that was found transporting around 81,000 electric detonators was intercepted by STF Kolkata. The cache of detonators was seized, and Ashish Keora, the driver of the Tata Sumo, was arrested. Ashish led the police to a stash of illegally stored explosives, including 27,000 kg of ammonium nitrate, 1625 kg of gelatine sticks, and 2325 more electric detonators.
After the NIA took over the case, initially registered at PS Md. Bazar PS in Birbhum, in September 2022, the agency made its first arrest in January 2023 with Rintu Sk.
Yesterday, NIA arrested another two accused from Raniganj and Kolkata, who have been identified as Merazuddin Ali Khan of Bokaro and Mir Md. Nuruzzaman of Birbhum. While Mir Md. Nuruzzaman had supplied 27,000 kg of ammonium nitrate to Rintu Sk, Merazuddin Ali Khan had supplied electric detonators and gelatine sticks to Rintu Sk.
Further investigations to establish the sources of pilferage of the explosives and other bomb-making materials, including detonators and gelatine sticks, are in progress.
