NIA’s Kolkata SP called to Delhi amid TMC’s claims of ‘meeting’ with BJP leader

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Amid the controversy over the alleged meeting between DR Singh, SP, National Investigation Agency (NIA), Kolkata, and a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jitendra Tiwari, the SP has been “called” to Delhi, News18 has learnt. Senior officers of NIA said that it was a “routine” visit, and not a “recall” order.

The agency is, however, yet to issue an official statement. The officer took an early morning flight to Delhi from Kolkata and landed in the capital. According to sources privy to the development, a midnight order from the NIA headquarters prompted such an action. The central investigating agency has sent a DIG-ranked officer to Kolkata to supervise the investigation. The DIG flew down to Kolkata from Patna last evening. He is the supervising officer of the case.

Following the arrest of two Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders in connection with a blast in East Midnapore district in December, senior TMC leaders, including party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, said that the SP had met Tiwari on March 26 at his residence. The TMC made the page of the entry-exit register of the housing complex, where the SP resides, public.

The page showed that Tiwari had entered and left the housing society and he went to the flat leased by Singh.

Banerjee, while addressing an election rally for party candidate and actor Dev, said that he would also make the CCTV footage public if no action is taken. A 10-member TMC delegation, comprising senior MP Derek O’Brien, Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghosh, Saket Gokhale and others, submitted a petition before the Election Commission of India (ECI), demanding the transfer of the heads of all investigating agencies and action against Singh for violating model code of conduct. And later, they sat on a dharna in front of the commission .

Meanwhile, the NIA has moved Calcutta High Court for redress in connection with the molestation case filed against the officers who were attacked when they went for a raid in East Midnapore. The hearing has been scheduled for 2pm on Tuesday.