New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed a high-level probe by the CBI or NIA into the illegal confinement of seven judicial officers in the Kalia Chowk area of Malda, West Bengal. The officers, including three women, were held hostage for several hours on Wednesday by an “unruly mob” while conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise related to voter list objections. A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, described the incident as a “calculated, motivated move” to demoralize the judiciary and stop the ongoing adjudicating process.
The apex court took strong exception to the “criminal failure” of the state administration, noting that despite being informed at 5:00 PM, no tangible action was taken to rescue the officers until midnight. The CJI revealed that he personally monitored the situation until 2:00 AM and had to issue “verbal instructions for very harsh orders” at night to ensure the safety of the hostages, which included five-year-old children who were allegedly denied food and water during the gherao. The Bench further noted that even after their release, the judicial officers’ vehicles were subjected to stone-pelting and stick attacks.
Key Judicial Directives:
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Show Cause Notices: The Chief Secretary, DGP, Malda District Magistrate, and SSP have been ordered to explain their “abdication of duty” and must remain present online for the next hearing on April 6.
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Central Force Deployment: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has been directed to immediately deploy Central forces to ensure the safe functioning of judicial officers and to provide security at their residences if any threat perception exists.
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Preliminary Report: The probe agency is required to submit an initial report by the next date of hearing to identify the “miscreants” behind the psychological and physical attack.
During the proceedings, the Bench expressed extreme disappointment that the West Bengal Chief Secretary was unreachable via phone or WhatsApp during the crisis. Justice J. Joymalya Bagchi remarked that the transition from verbal threats to physical attacks on judicial officers signals a move toward “mobocracy.” While representatives for the West Bengal government attempted to frame the incident as an “apolitical protest,” the CJI dismissed the claim, questioning why political leaders failed to intervene if the situation was indeed non-partisan.
The Supreme Court emphasized that the orders being carried out by these special officers are deemed to be orders of the court itself, and any interference constitutes criminal contempt. The Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, termed the state’s conduct “unacceptable,” suggesting it would be unwise to rely on the state government for the future security of the judicial process. The ECI has been granted full liberty to requisition any necessary forces to prevent further interference in the electoral revision task.
