Two Held by Bengal CID for Bomb Attack on Minister Jakir Hossain

On 17 February, Bengal minister Jakir Hossain and his entourage were attacked with crude bombs at Murshidabad.

West Bengal Minister Jakir Hossain, seconds before he was attacked with crude bombs.

(Photo: Screenshot)

The West Bengal CID has arrested two people in connection with the bomb blast at the Nimtita Railway Station in Murshidabad, in which Bengal minister Jakir Hossain, and 20 others were grievously injured.

On 17 February, at around 9.45pm, Hossain and his entourage were attacked with crude bombs by unidentified miscreants while they were at the railway station, from where they were to board a train to Kolkata.

Both arrested have been booked under Section 3 of the Explosives Substances Act, and other sections of the IPC.

The two will be produced in court for further legal action, said the police

Speaking to reporters after the attack, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called this a "planned attack" on her minister.

"At the time of the blast there were no railway police present at the station and it was completely dark. It's a Railway property and they are taking the incident casually. It's a conspiracy. We want the truth to come out," Banerjee had said, when she'd come to meet Hossain at the hospital, the day after the attack.

In subsequent visits to Hossain, Banerjee said that he's recovering. He continues to be in the hospital.

West Bengal will go to polls on 27 March 2020.