In a dramatic turn in the high-profile killing of Inquilab Mancha convener Sharif Osman Hadi in Bangladesh, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken two key suspects from a West Bengal jail to Delhi, tightening its grip on the cross-border murder probe.
The accused – Faisal Karim Masud alias Rahul and Alamgir Hossain – were earlier produced before a court in North 24 Parganas and sent to 12 days of judicial custody.
They were initially booked under the Foreigners Act after being detained near the Bangladesh border.
But the case took a serious turn when the NIA stepped in, slapping fresh charges under sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, invoking terrorism-related provisions.
Following back-to-back petitions, the court first allowed NIA officials to interrogate the duo inside jail, and then granted permission to shift them to the agency’s Delhi headquarters for intensive questioning.
Acting swiftly, NIA officers moved both suspects out of Kolkata on Tuesday.
Investigators say the two men were arrested by the Special Task Force of West Bengal Police from Bangaon, a sensitive border zone in North 24 Parganas.
Authorities claim they had illegally crossed into India and were lying low, waiting for a chance to slip back into Bangladesh.
Faisal, 37, hails from Patuakhali, while Alamgir, 34, is from Dhaka.
With the suspects now in Delhi, officials indicate the probe has entered a crucial phase, with the possibility of uncovering a wider network behind Hadi’s killing.