Jangipur MLA Jakir Hossain, who was seriously injured after unidentified attackers hurled a crude bomb at him at Nimtita railway station in Murshidabad district on Wednesday night, has come out of danger now.
Hossain was brought to the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata early on Thursday morning and admitted to the Trauma Care Unit.
Apart from Hossain, the minister of state for labour, at least two other persons were also injured in the incident which occurred ahead of the assembly election in the state due in April-May this year.
“I spoke to Jakir and met his wife at the SSKM Hospital. There are 10 others who are admitted here. They’ve lost their hands and legs. One’s face has been affected. Few more are coming from Murshidabad. A total of 26 might have been injured. Jakir’s condition is really bad,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday.
As per the hospital authorities on Friday, the condition of Hossain and others have improved. A total of 13 surgeries have been carried out on the TMC leader. The doctors will now perform a plastic surgery either on Sunday or Monday.
On the other hand, CID in its primary investigation has said that Hossain was not targeted by any local-made ordinary explosives. The investigators have hinted that the explosion might have been caused by IED.
CID and forensic department authorities have recovered motorbike battery and iron plate in and around the location, leading them to believe that Hossain and his followers were hit by high quality IEDs.
Reportedly, CID had acquired a video footage of the entire incident. In the clip, the ministers followers were seen warning him about a bag on the Nimtita platform.
The investigators speculate that the explosion occurred when one of them had tried to remove the bag. The forensic department believes that by Friday it would be able to identify the type of explosives that were used.
To carry on the investigation, train services at the Farakka, Dhuliyan, Nimtita and Jangipur routes have been closed.