Police on Saturday, 18 July arrested the main accused, Mohammad Shamim alias Salim, in connection with a house explosion in the Supari Bagan area of Dakshin Narayanpur, Rajarhat, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) subsequently took charge of the investigation, signalling the Centre's assessment of the incident as a matter of national security concern.

Key Developments

Mohammad Shamim was apprehended in Sodepur, North 24 Parganas district, and was being brought to Narayanpur police station in Rajarhat, according to police. Three individuals connected to the premises are under questioning — the house owner, Zulfiqar Ali, and broker Shahenshah, who allegedly helped Shamim secure a rented room at the property a few days prior to the blast. A search remains underway for at least one more suspect believed to be involved, police sources indicated.

The explosion had occurred late Friday night, injuring one person. Officers from Narayanpur police station detained two individuals at the scene shortly after the blast. On Saturday morning, the bomb squad arrived and recovered two additional unexploded devices from the premises — a detail that alarmed local residents who had already claimed fresh bombs remained inside the house.

NIA Steps In

Given the gravity of the situation, the NIA was called in to lead the investigation. Central agency officials have begun collecting samples from the blast site, and forensic experts are being engaged to determine the precise cause and origin of the explosion. The NIA's involvement elevates the case beyond a routine law-and-order matter, pointing to possible links with organised explosive networks or terror-related activity — though no formal determination has been made public yet.

This comes amid a broader pattern of explosive-related incidents in West Bengal that have drawn repeated demands from opposition parties for central intervention. The NIA's swift takeover is notable and reflects the seriousness with which investigators are treating the discovery of stored devices at a residential address.

What Residents and Witnesses Said

Another tenant at the property, Shahida Begum, told reporters that a person had rented a room from the landlord and it was understood that two men would be staying there at night. 'Two days later, on Friday, the explosion occurred. I was not at home. All the things in my house have been destroyed,' she said.

Local residents expressed fear, alleging that the stored explosives posed an ongoing threat to the neighbourhood even before the blast occurred.

Political Reaction

Rajarhat New Town MLA Piyush Kanodia of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) visited the site on Saturday and spoke with residents. He alleged that a climate of fear had been deliberately created in the area. 'We don't want terrorism, we want education. We will not accept machine guns or guns being handed over to anyone. We want to hand over books and pens to the youth,' Kanodia said, without naming any specific group or individual.

The MLA's visit underscores the political dimension of the incident, with the BJP using it to press its narrative on law-and-order in West Bengal ahead of future electoral contests.

What Happens Next

With the NIA now leading the probe, investigators are expected to trace the source and supply chain of the explosives recovered. The forensic analysis of blast residue and the two unexploded devices will be central to establishing motive and network. The arrests of Shamim and the ongoing questioning of Ali and Shahenshah are likely to be followed by formal charges once the agency completes its initial assessment.