Blast Damages Residential Building in Kolkata, One Detained

Kolkata: An explosion partially damaged a residential building in the eastern outskirts of Kolkata on Friday evening, prompting police to detain one person in connection with the incident. No injuries were reported.

The blast occurred in the Dakshin Narayanpur area of Rajarhat around 8 pm, according to police. The detained individual, identified as Shahenshah, is a local property broker. The primary suspect, Md Shamim alias Salim, a resident of Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas district, remains at large.

Investigators suspect the explosion was caused by materials used in making crude bombs. Police recovered remnants of several crude bombs and raw materials from the building. Two bombs were also found at the scene, though it is not yet clear whether they were live or inert. A police officer told PTI that they will be defused as per protocol.

Building owner Zulfikar Ansari stated that Salim had approached him through Shahenshah to rent a room. Ansari said he had not completed the tenancy agreement or police verification, and only allowed Salim to clean the room before the blast occurred.

CCTV footage shows a local youth placing a white jute bag inside the room shortly before the explosion. During questioning, the youth told police that Salim had given him the room key and asked him to leave the bag there, claiming it contained food items.

Personnel from the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services, the state police's Special Task Force, and the bomb squad visited the site on Saturday to sanitise the building. Sources indicate that a National Investigation Agency team may also visit as part of the probe, though no official confirmation has been made.

Police are questioning Shahenshah to gather information about the absconding suspect. Further investigations are ongoing.