NIA takes over Burdwan blast probe

India's federal government has transferred the Burdwan blast probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on its own, overruling the West Bengal government's objections, according to a news agency.
This was a rare decision and one perhaps merited by six detentions in the neighbouring state of Assam that has given the case a much wider profile that state agencies are unlikely to be able to handle.
The federal agency would also investigate the role of Bengal police, formally accused by the Intelligence Bureau of covering up the Oct 2 blast’s terror links and misleading central sleuths.
The Bengal government’s first report to the Centre in the week-old case had been silent on a possible NIA investigation although the ruling Trinamool Congress had repeatedly signalled its opposition to any central probe.
A top Bengal government source said chief minister Mamata Banerjee, despite her misgivings about a NIA probe, had cleared the report’s draft under “active persuasion” from Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra, Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee and state director-general of police GMP Reddy.
At a Trinamool news conference during the day, party Secretary-General and Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee said the state government was “not opposed to” an NIA probe but stressed its “faith” in the state police.