Seven judicial officers participating in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in West Bengal, ahead of the state’s upcoming elections, were reportedly surrounded for approximately nine hours in Malda district. The Supreme Court raised concerns over the incident and instructed the deployment of central forces to ensure their safety. Describing Bengal as the “most polarized state,” the Supreme Court labeled the event as pre-planned and motivated, urging the Election Commission to assign the investigation to either the NIA or CBI.
A significant protest erupted outside the Kaliachak II Block Development Office (BDO) due to names being removed from the voter lists during the SIR. Initially seeking a meeting with the judicial officers, the protesters were denied and subsequently encircled the BDO office around 4 pm, holding hostage the seven judicial officers, including three women, and a five-year-old child of one officer.
The Election Commission’s SIR initiative has emerged as a contentious issue leading up to the Bengal assembly polls, resulting in over 63 lakh deletions and 60 lakh voters placed “under adjudication” in the final voters’ list. These judicial officers were tasked with reviewing these cases to determine whether voters should remain on the rolls, as mandated by the Supreme Court.
Following a rescue operation lasting until 1 am, the police managed to extract the judicial officers while facing opposition from stone-throwing protesters. Social media footage depicted smashed car windows and aggressive protesters pursuing police vehicles during the evacuation. The demonstrations extended to neighboring areas, with individuals blocking NH 12 using bamboo and furniture, burning tires, and cooking on the streets to sustain the protest.
To date, approximately 18 individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident. BJP Bengal president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar blamed the Mamata Banerjee-led government for failing to control the situation, alleging continuous threats and intimidation faced by the judicial officers during the ordeal. Majumdar further claimed that the protesters had intentions to assault the officers.
Upon review, the Supreme Court condemned the incident as an affront to its authority and criticized the Mamata government’s management as a “criminal failure.” The court reprimanded key officials, including the chief secretary, DGP, Superintendent of Police, and the Malda district collector, for their handling of the situation. The court demanded an explanation for their actions and highlighted the release of the judicial officers only after the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court intervened.
In response, the Supreme Court issued directives for the Election Commission to deploy central forces to safeguard all judicial officers and conduct investigations through central agencies like the CBI or NIA. The court specified limits on the number of individuals allowed to enter BDO premises during adjudication and summoned top officials for questioning on April 6.