Two Bomb Blast Conspirators Sentenced to 10 Years by NIA Court

An NIA court in Kolkata has sentenced Chand alias Arif Akhtar and Rahul Pasi to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for their roles in the 2021 Jaggadal bomb blast case. Another case saw Bablu Mondal sentenced to 10 years for the 2019 Lokepur blast, with charges of bomb manufacturing.

A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Kolkata has handed down a 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence to two men linked to the 2021 Jaggadal bomb blast in West Bengal. The convicted individuals, Chand alias Arif Akhtar and Rahul Pasi, were also fined Rs 5,000 each, according to an official statement released Sunday.

Chand and Pasi, together with a juvenile, were involved in hurling three bombs near former MP Arjun Singh's office-residence in the Majdoor Bhawan area of Jaggadal. Following the incident on September 8, 2021, Akhtar was apprehended by local law enforcement, with Pasi later arrested by the NIA, which took over the investigation shortly thereafter.

In a separate case, the NIA special court convicted Bablu Mondal for a 2019 blast in Lokepur, sentencing him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 10,000 fine. The probe revealed his residence was used for manufacturing crude bombs, leading to further legal action against Mondal's sons.

(With inputs from agencies.)