Kolkata (PTI): Five BJP supporters have been injured allegedly in a bomb blast in Panihati in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, police said on Thursday.

The incident occurred late on Wednesday night, hours after Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants, which led to the saffron camp accusing the TMC of unleashing retaliatory violence.

The bomb blast occurred near St Xavier's Institution in Panihati. Unidentified assailants hurled crude bombs at a group of BJP workers, injuring at least five people, police said, adding the injured were admitted to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

According to local sources, BJP workers were interacting with residents on Dutta Road in Panihati's Ward number 2 when a group of motorcycle-borne persons allegedly targeted them with bombs before fleeing.

The BJP alleged that the attackers were backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress, an allegation denied by the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

A senior police official said, "We have started an investigation and are examining CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to identify those involved. Raids are being conducted to nab the accused."

A heavy police deployment has been made in the area.

"We are maintaining strict vigil and appealing to people not to spread rumours. Necessary steps are being taken to maintain peace," the officer added.

Incidentally, the area where the blast occurred is located near the residence of newly elected BJP MLA Ratna Debnath, the mother of the RG Kar Hospital rape victim.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday. 

The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said. 

A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said. 

Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.

Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.

Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.

Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.

Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.

The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.

According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet. 

"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.