Kolkata, Feb 18 (IANS): The CID on Thursday started a probe into the bomb attack on West Bengal Minister Jakir Hossain, who along with 21 others was seriously injured in the blast at Nimtita railway station in Murshidabad district on Wednesday night. A team of forensic experts visited the railway station on Thursday and collected evidence.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday visited the SSKM hospital, where the Minister of State for Labour Department and the other injured are under medical treatment. The Chief Minister said that she handed over the investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department, who immediately went to the blast site and began their probe. "It was a planned conspiracy," Banerjee said and raised questions about the role of the security personnel of the Railways.
The incident took place at Nimtita railway station at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday night when the Minister accompanied by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers was on the platform to board a Kolkata bound train to attend a party meeting in the state capital.
In all 22 persons including the Minister, were injured in the blast and 10 of them have been shifted to Kolkata hospitals. Hossain was seriously injured after the "unidentified attackers" hurled a crude bomb at him.
Minister Firhad Hakim, who also visited the SSKM hospital, said that a medical board has been constituted for Hossain. He is stable now but has injuries on his fingers and foot, Hakim added.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders alleged that the incident was due to the infighting in the ruling party before the Assembly elections while the Congress accused the state government of having failed to maintain law and order. "The incident proves that Bengal is not safe even for ministers. The TMC government has failed to manage law and order," West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.
The ruling TMC workers on Thursday blocked National Highway-34 for several hours to protest the bomb attack.
This is the first such attack on a minister in recent years in West Bengal, which will go to the polls along with other states in April-May this year.