ElectionUpdate – Kolkata Court Sends Malda Violence Accused to Judicial Custody
ElectionUpdate – A Kolkata court has ordered 14 days of judicial custody for 15 people arrested in connection with the alleged obstruction of judicial officers during an electoral roll verification exercise in West Bengal’s Malda district. The accused were produced before the City Sessions Court by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday following their arrest during a coordinated operation carried out a day earlier.
Court Orders Custody in Election-Linked Violence Case
The NIA informed the court that mobile phones recovered from the accused have been seized as part of the investigation. According to Public Prosecutor Shyamal Kumar Ghosh, the agency plans to send all 15 devices to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory for technical examination and digital analysis.
The arrests are linked to incidents that took place during the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. Authorities alleged that judicial officers and government staff involved in the voter list verification exercise were unlawfully confined and prevented from performing official duties.
NIA Conducts Major Operation in Malda District
The anti-terror agency carried out raids across several locations in Malda district on Monday. Investigators detained 15 individuals in connection with two separate incidents involving road blockades and the alleged detention of judicial officials.
Among those arrested were Joshim Sk and Asmaul Sk, identified by investigators as key accused in one of the cases. Officials claimed that a woman judicial officer was confined for nearly eight hours on the road stretch between Haibatola and Amlitola during the unrest.
In another case tied to the blockade at Bagmara Bridge in the Mothabari area, three individuals — Alamgir Sk, Nurul Islam and Habibur Rahman — were taken into custody.
Protest Triggered by Electoral Roll Revision Exercise
The disturbance reportedly began after large-scale deletions from electoral rolls during the ongoing revision process sparked anger among local residents. On April 1, thousands of protestors allegedly gathered outside the Kaliachak-II Block Development Office and blocked both entry gates.
Officials stated that seven judicial officers, including three women, along with other government employees, remained trapped inside the premises for several hours. They were eventually rescued after midnight following intervention by authorities.
The situation escalated into a prolonged standoff, with allegations of violence, intimidation and obstruction of public servants carrying out election-related responsibilities.
Supreme Court Intervention Led to NIA Probe
The NIA initiated a preliminary inquiry late on April 2 after receiving formal instructions from the Election Commission of India. The poll body referred the matter to the central agency after the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident.
During the hearing, the apex court reportedly described the attack as a “deliberate and calculated” attempt to discourage judicial officers from performing their constitutional duties. The court also observed that such incidents could not be tolerated in a democratic process linked to elections.
The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to consider seeking deployment of central security forces to ensure the safety of officials and their family members involved in the electoral revision exercise in the state.
Charges Include Violence and Illegal Confinement
Investigators have booked the accused on charges related to violence, arson, unlawful assembly and the illegal confinement of judicial officers. Officials said the probe will focus on identifying the organisers of the protest, the sequence of events leading to the blockade and possible coordination behind the disruption.
The forensic examination of mobile devices is expected to play a key role in determining communication patterns and gathering additional evidence connected to the case.
Authorities have indicated that further arrests may follow depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation.