In a disturbing incident in West Bengal, seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage for more than nine hours in Malda district by a group of voters protesting the deletion of their names from the voter list. The incident has sparked serious concerns over the safety of judicial personnel and the integrity of the electoral process.
The Supreme Court of India today condemned the event, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant describing it as a “calculated and motivated” challenge to the authority of the court and the rule of law. The court emphasized that West Bengal is the “most polarised state” and ordered an official investigation.
The Election Commission of India has been directed to scrutinize the incident, with the Supreme Court instructing the CBI or the National Investigation Agency to conduct a probe. The court also announced its intention to monitor the investigation closely.
According to reports, the judicial officers were gheraoed yesterday afternoon at around 3:30 pm and only rescued after midnight, when a large contingent of police and paramilitary forces intervened. During their rescue, the officers faced stone pelting and attacks with sticks as they were being taken to safety.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi called for a unified condemnation from political leaders and stressed the importance of protecting judicial officers, asserting that their orders are court orders. The Chief Justice noted that the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice had to personally call the DGP and Home Secretary to ensure their safety.
The incident is being viewed as an attempt to intimidate judicial officers and undermine the ongoing process of adjudicating objections related to the electoral roll. The court expressed its displeasure at the West Bengal government’s failure to ensure the officers’ safe evacuation and directed the state government and Election Commission to take all necessary steps to guarantee their security.
Further restrictions on the number of people allowed during objections and hearings were also ordered, with a limit of two or three individuals for filing objections and five for assembly during proceedings.
The court emphasized that the investigation should be entrusted to either the CBI or NIA, with a preliminary report required to be submitted directly to the court.
During the proceedings, West Bengal Advocate General Kishore Dutta urged that the Election Commission not act as an adversary, citing the ongoing model code of conduct. In response, the Chief Justice remarked on the highly polarized political climate in the state and expressed disappointment over the incident, stating, “Very, very unfortunate.”
Later, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed the media, asserting that law and order are not under the state’s direct control due to the enforcement of the model code of conduct. She stated, “The law and order are not in my hand, the administration is not in my hand. The Election Commission is monitoring everything. My officials have been changed.”
