NIA arrests Cong neta in Mothabari violence case

Malda: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Congress zilla parishad member Sayem Choudhury in connection with the Mothabari violence case, in which judicial officers were detained for several hours by a mob during an electoral roll revision exercise ahead of the state assembly elections.Choudhury was summoned to the NIA’s Kolkata office on Wednesday and arrested after questioning. He had earlier been interrogated by the agency and released.On April 1, a mob gheraoed the Mothabari BDO office, where judicial officers were conducting the electoral roll revision. The officers, including three women, were held inside until late at night, when a large police force rescued them. The Supreme Court later took suo motu cognisance of the incident and transferred the investigation to the NIA.Officials said 30 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence, road blockades and the disruption of official duties. Chargesheets have already been filed in two cases. Candidates of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) were among those arrested earlier.“He was part of the mob that disrupted law and order and attacked police personnel on official duty, leaving nine officers injured,” an official said.

Investigators have alleged that Choudhury delivered a speech outside the BDO office a day before the violence, encouraging protesters to take part in the agitation.Congress MP Isha Khan Choudhury questioned the arrest. “Sayem was never at the spot and he had already convinced the agency of this during earlier questioning. Why arrest him now? The meeting where he spoke the previous day was also attended by the TMC candidate, but that individual was not detained. Is it because he is now a ‘good TMC’ member? We stand by Sayem and will provide him with full legal support.”