Following a stern reprimand from the Supreme Court regarding the West Bengal government’s inability to ensure the safety of seven judicial officers who were gheraoed during their Special Intensive Revision (SIR) duties at the Kaliachak-II block office and Mothabari Chowrangi in Malda on April 1, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has initiated 12 new cases in connection with the incident.
According to a spokesperson for the NIA, “In adherence to the Supreme Court’s directive in Suo Moto WP(Civil) No. 3/2026, dated April 6, which we received today, concerning the protection of judicial officers assigned to SIR tasks in Malda and associated law and order issues, the NIA has re-registered seven FIRs from the Mothabari police station and five FIRs from the Kaliachak police station in Malda for further investigation. NIA teams have already been deployed to Malda to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into these matters.”
A senior NIA official stated, “In response to the Supreme Court’s instructions, we have swiftly re-registered seven FIRs from the Mothabari police station and five from the Kaliachak police station. Our investigation teams are on-site to carry out an in-depth investigation into the events of April 1, during which local residents reportedly detained judicial officers involved in SIR work, raising significant concerns regarding public order.”
To date, 35 individuals have been arrested in connection with this case. Investigators are currently working to uncover the orchestrators behind the attack and the subsequent detention of the judges, aiming to identify those responsible for the unrest.
On Monday, the Supreme Court bench, consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, invoked its authority under Article 142, stating that the NIA would oversee the investigation, even if the offenses did not typically fall under its jurisdiction. The court also criticized the Chief Secretary of West Bengal, Dushyant Nariala, and the Director General of Police, Siddh Nath Gupta, for the failure of law enforcement in Malda, where judicial officers were held captive for several hours and their vehicles attacked during their rescue. The court has mandated Nariala to issue an apology to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court regarding the incident.
Stay connected with the latest updates by following us on Instagram.
