Desk News : Voice of Calcutta
Tension erupts in West Bengal’s Malda over voter list controversy as judges are held hostage for hours—Supreme Court steps in with strong action.
The Supreme Court has taken serious note of the incident in West Bengal’s Malda, where judicial officers were held hostage for several hours. Expressing strong concern, the apex court has issued show-cause notices to the State Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Malda District Magistrate, and Superintendent of Police.
The court has directed submission of a preliminary report and indicated that the investigation may be handed over to the CBI or NIA if required.
The unrest reportedly began over grievances related to exclusion of names from the voter list. What started as protests on Wednesday morning escalated into a major law and order situation by the afternoon.
According to allegations, a mob surrounded the Kaliachak-II BDO office where seven judicial officers had gone for official work related to SIR. Among them were three women judges. They were held inside the premises for over seven hours before being rescued late at night by a large police force.
The matter reached the Supreme Court after Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam (or Sujoy Paul, depending on correction) wrote a detailed letter highlighting the incident. Referring to the letter, the Chief Justice of India observed that the judges were confined till around 2 AM, calling the situation deeply alarming.
The Supreme Court noted that the incident was not merely an act of intimidation against judicial officers, but a direct challenge to the judicial system. It described the act as “planned and deliberate,” aimed at breaking the morale of the judiciary.
Meanwhile, the incident has triggered a sharp political confrontation in the state. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of orchestrating a conspiracy to disrupt the electoral process and impose President’s Rule in West Bengal. She went further to allege involvement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded his resignation.
On the other hand, police sources suggest a possible link to ISF. Authorities have arrested ISF candidate Shahjahan Ali Qadri from Mothabari along with 18 others in connection with the incident.
Fresh protests erupted again on Thursday in the Mangalbari area of Old Malda, where demonstrators blocked National Highway 12, set tyres on fire, and disrupted traffic. Police and central forces have been deployed to control the situation.
Protesters claim that their names were excluded from the voter list despite having valid documents. Although the blockade was lifted late Wednesday night after administrative assurances, tensions resurfaced the next morning.
The next hearing in the Supreme Court is scheduled for Monday. Concerned officials have been directed to appear virtually and explain why action should not be taken against them.
Desk News : Voice of Calcutta
