NIA Investigates Block Development Office Incident in Malda
NIA Team Arrives for Investigation
On Friday, a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited the Block Development Officer (BDO) office in Malda. This investigation is linked to a recent incident where, on April 1, thousands of individuals blocked both entrances of the Kaliyachak-II BDO office, holding seven judicial officials and other staff members hostage for several hours. The hostages were released shortly after midnight. Earlier that day, the anti-terrorism agency initiated a preliminary inquiry following a formal referral from the Election Commission of India (ECI) late Thursday night.
Supreme Court's Directive
The ECI's instruction to the NIA came after a Supreme Court order issued on Thursday, which mandated that the incident be investigated by a central agency, either the CBI or the NIA. The court described the attack as a deliberate attempt to demoralize judicial officials and obstruct them from performing their duties. It emphasized that such actions are intolerable and directed the ECI to request the deployment of central forces for the protection of officials and their families in the state. A team from the NIA is expected to arrive in Malda at any moment. Although the agency has remained tight-lipped, sources indicated that a team had already departed from its Kolkata office for the site on Thursday morning. Their first step will be to visit the relevant police station to gather all available information regarding the incident.
Ongoing Police Action
Currently, the police are actively pursuing this case and have arrested 20 individuals connected to the incident, including Maulana Shahjahan Ali, a candidate from the Indian Secular Front (ISF), and the alleged mastermind, Advocate Mofakkarul Islam. All suspects have been charged with violence, arson, and the eight-hour siege of the Kaliyachak-II block office, which involved seven judicial officials, three of whom were women. Out of the 19 accused, police apprehended 18, including Shahjahan Ali, on Thursday, and they have been remanded to ten days of police custody. Mofakkarul Islam, the 19th suspect, was arrested while attempting to flee from Bagdogra Airport. According to sources, a special team led by an officer of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) rank will conduct the investigation, supervised by an officer of Inspector General (IG) rank. Tensions remained high for several hours on Wednesday as the crowd continued their blockade, chanting slogans and refusing to disperse. The standoff persisted until late at night, and it was only after law enforcement intervention that the trapped personnel were finally rescued shortly after midnight.