The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has stepped up its probe in West Bengal’s Malda district with the arrest of 14 more individuals linked to the confinement and harassment of judicial officers during violent protests over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. With the latest action, the total number of arrests has reached 68.
Officials said the NIA carried out overnight raids in Kaliachak and Mothabari, two key locations in the case. Investigators identified the arrested individuals as directly involved in the April 1 incident, which unfolded during protests against voter list deletions ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.
The unrest began as demonstrations but quickly turned violent. Protesters blocked roads, damaged vehicles, and clashed with police personnel deployed in the area. The situation escalated rapidly and stretched local security forces, who were already managing a sensitive election-related exercise.
At the centre of the case lies the confinement of judicial officers assigned to supervise the Special Intensive Revision process. According to investigators, seven judicial officers remained trapped inside a Block Development Office. Another officer stayed confined inside a vehicle. The situation lasted nearly nine hours before security forces rescued them late at night.
The incident triggered serious concern across administrative and legal circles. Officials said the episode disrupted election-related duties and exposed gaps in ground-level security arrangements during politically sensitive operations.
NIA Intensifies Investigation
The Supreme Court directed the NIA to take over the case, after which the agency expanded its operations across Malda district. Officials said investigators interrogated earlier arrests and examined CCTV footage and technical evidence to identify new suspects.
A senior official said the probe has uncovered multiple leads pointing to wider coordination behind the violence. “The NIA is trying to identify others linked to the incident. Several crucial leads have emerged during questioning of those earlier arrested and scrutiny of CCTV footage,” the official said.
Investigators are now assessing whether the violence broke out spontaneously or followed organised mobilisation. They are examining patterns of road blockades, crowd movement and sustained pressure on officials during the incident.
Political Heat Builds Ahead of Elections
The case has gained political significance ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Among those arrested earlier are Indian Secular Front leaders, including Mothabari candidate Maulana Shahjahan Ali Qadri and party leader Golam Rabbani.
As arrests rise, the Malda incident has emerged as a major pre-poll flashpoint. The expanding NIA probe signals that investigators are treating the episode as more than a law-and-order breakdown. They see it as a coordinated challenge to institutional authority during a sensitive electoral exercise.