Women In Front, Mosque Announcements & Dead CCTV Cameras: NIA Lays Out Malda Plot | Exclusive

Last Updated:April 07, 2026, 09:48 IST

The report further details targeted obstruction during the day, including a female judicial officer being unlawfully restrained for nearly eight hours due to road blockades

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday told the Supreme Court that the Malda judicial gherao was marked by “coordinated escalation", detailing how protests snowballed into a targeted attack on judicial officers. The submissions came as the apex court pulled up West Bengal’s top bureaucrat over lapses during the incident.

In its preliminary status report, based on a 72-hour enquiry and presented in court, the NIA outlined how the April 1 violence in Kaliachak-II unfolded. According to the agency, seven judicial officers were confined inside a BDO office for over 13 hours by a mob of roughly 1,500 people, following protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted under Supreme Court supervision.

The agency flagged that the situation went beyond spontaneous unrest. It pointed to organised mobilisation, with announcements made via e-rickshaws and from a local mosque to gather crowds. It also noted indicative patterns, such as women being positioned at the front while men remained behind, suggesting elements of planning, even as a larger conspiracy remains under investigation.

The report further details targeted obstruction during the day, including a female judicial officer being unlawfully restrained for nearly eight hours due to road blockades.

According to the NIA’s account placed before the court, the violence escalated further during the evacuation phase. After police and central forces moved the judicial officers out around midnight, the convoy came under coordinated stone-pelting at multiple points. In one such attack, an escort vehicle overturned after its driver suffered a grievous head injury from a brick.

Security lapses also formed a key part of the agency’s findings. Of the 16 CCTV cameras installed at the BDO office, nine were non-functional, including critical cameras covering the main entrance.

While the NIA’s submissions formed the core of the hearing, the Supreme Court took a dim view of the state administration’s response. The bench rapped the Chief Secretary for not taking calls from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court during the crisis, terming it unacceptable and directing him to apologise.

The court also observed that the nature of the incident raised serious concerns, with indications that the gherao was not merely a law-and-order issue but could be pre-planned, echoing the concerns flagged in the NIA’s preliminary findings.

Three FIRs have been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, invoking charges including unlawful assembly, attempt to murder, and obstruction of public servants. Over 100 individuals have been named so far, with arrests underway.

In its submission, the NIA has urged the Supreme Court to consider transferring the case to the agency for a full-scale probe, allowing it to re-register the FIRs and investigate the possibility of a wider conspiracy behind the mobilisation and attacks.

News elections Women In Front, Mosque Announcements & Dead CCTV Cameras: NIA Lays Out Malda Plot | Exclusive

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