NIA files supplementary chargesheet in Bengal explosives & detonators seizure case

New Delhi, June 29 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed its first supplementary charge sheet in the case related to the seizure of a huge cache of electric detonators, nonels (non-electric detonators) and explosives from West Bengal in June 2022.

The supplementary chargesheet was filed against Merajuddin Ali Khan alias Meraj Khan from Jharkhand and Mir Mohammad Nuruzzaman alias Romeo of West Bengal. They have been charged under various sections of the IPC and Explosive Substances Act. This takes the total number of accused charge-sheeted in the case to seven. Five accused persons were named in the original charge sheet filed in April.

On Wednesday, the NIA also raided illegal godowns at two locations in Birbhum district in connection with the same case.

The godowns were being run by another suspect in the case, identified as Manoj Ghosh.

The agency has seized ammonium nitrate, a country-made pistol, live ammunition, gelatin sticks and incriminating documents in these raids.

The case was registered in September 2022 following the seizure of around 81,000 electric detonators from a vehicle in the Mohammad Bazaar Police Station area in Birbhum by a team of West Bengal STF.

The vehicle’s driver, Ashish Keora was also arrested, and subsequent searches had led to the seizure of another 2,525 electric detonators, 27,000 kg of ammonium nitrate and 1,625 kg of gelatin sticks from an illegal godown.

According to NIA, Merajuddin Ali Khan had supplied the electric detonators and gelatin sticks to Rintu alias Muntaj Ali, one of the five accused charge-sheeted earlier. Mir Mohammad Nuruzzaman had illegally supplied 27,000 kg of ammonium nitrate to Rintu. The duo had also prepared forged and fabricated documents, which they uploaded on the PESO site, to cover up their crimes.

The seized documents, according to NIA, showed that Merajuddin had illegally supplied a total 86,700 kg of gelatine sticks, 4,99,222 electric detonators and 204 nonels (non-electric detonators) to various illegal miners so far.