Kolkata, Jan. 31 -- The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday began its probe into the violence that erupted in Beldanga in Murshidabad, following the news of the death of a migrant worker in Jharkhand earlier this month.
An NIA team, reportedly, reached the Beldanga Police Station in the morning and talked to the officials earlier involved in the probe and sought documents from them.
Following the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Central agency had registered a fresh case.
The focus of the investigation is to determine whether the violence was the result of any organised conspiracy, the spread of fake or misleading information, or deliberate provocation to stoke communal passion, an NIA official reportedly said.
Tension flared up in Beldanga and adjoining areas on January 16 after news spread that a migrant worker from the area had died an unnatural death at his shelter in Jharkhand.
The situation remained volatile for nearly two days as the news of another assault on a migrant worker hailing from the region came, with incidents of unrest reported across the area. Protesters blocked National Highway-12 and railway tracks at Beldanga, affecting rail and road traffic.
Against this backdrop, the Centre decided to hand over the investigation to the NIA.
A special NIA court has directed the West Bengal Police to hand over all documents, records and details related to the investigation without delay.
Earlier, state police had arrested 35 people in connection with the violence.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.