Three days after the Supreme Court criticized the West Bengal Government for its inability to prevent the gherao of judicial officers involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on April 1 in Malda, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) initiated an investigation by registering 12 cases and deploying five teams to examine the events.

In response to the Supreme Court’s order, the NIA has re-registered seven First Information Reports (FIRs) from Mothabari Police Station and five from Kalichak Police Station in Malda district.

A senior official stated, “Various investigation teams have arrived at the scene to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the incidents of April 1, where local residents reportedly gheraoed the judicial officers assigned to SIR duties.”

An NIA spokesperson commented, “Following the Supreme Court’s directive in Suo Moto WP (C) No. 3/2026 dated April 8, which was received today and concerns the safety of judicial officers during SIR in Malda along with associated law-and-order issues, the NIA has re-registered the FIRs and dispatched investigation teams to Malda.”

On Monday, a bench consisting of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi, and Vipul M Pancholi invoked Article 142 to entrust the investigation to the NIA, despite the offenses typically falling outside its jurisdiction.

The bench reprimanded West Bengal Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala and Director General of Police Siddh Nath Gupta for the collapse of law and order, during which officers were held captive for hours and their vehicles came under attack during a rescue attempt. The court instructed Nariala to extend an apology to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.

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