Kolkata: The West Bengal Police achieved a major breakthrough on Friday, April 3, 2026, with the arrest of the alleged mastermind behind the violent gherao of seven judicial officers in Malda. Identified as advocate Mofakkarul Islam, the suspect was apprehended at Siliguri’s Bagdogra airport along with an associate while attempting to board a flight to flee the state. ADG (North Bengal) K Jayaraman confirmed that Islam, a resident of Kolkata originally from Uttar Dinajpur, had been under intense surveillance following the Wednesday night crisis at the Kaliachak-2 block office.
According to police reports, Mofakkarul Islam is accused of delivering inflammatory speeches at three different locations on Wednesday, which directly instigated a mob to surround and trap the judicial officers for several hours. These officers were deployed in Malda for the critical task of voter list verification ahead of the state assembly elections. The arrest was a coordinated effort between the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Siliguri Police. Currently, three specific cases have been registered against Islam at the Kaliachak police station for “instigation,” contributing to a total of 19 FIRs lodged in connection with the broader unrest.
With these latest arrests, the total number of individuals in custody for the Kaliachak incident has risen to 35, including a candidate from the Indian Secular Front (ISF). While the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has officially taken over the probe following a directive linked to the scale of the violence, ADG Jayaraman stated that the state police would maintain a parallel investigation. The primary focus of the state’s inquiry is to determine if the mob violence was a “pre-planned” political conspiracy and to identify any further high-level involvement.
The incident has sparked a massive legal and political firestorm, with the Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court monitoring the safety of election officials in the state. Despite the NIA’s involvement, the West Bengal Police underscored their commitment to tracking down all individuals who participated in the gherao. As of Friday afternoon, security has been significantly bolstered around Bagdogra airport and other transit hubs in North Bengal to prevent other suspects from leaving the region as the investigation intensifies.
