The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed charge sheets against 31 individuals in connection with four cases involving road blockades and the alleged illegal detention of judicial officers during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal’s Malda district. These charge sheets, submitted before the NIA Special Court in Kolkata, are based on digital evidence, witness statements, and other materials collected during the investigation prior to the state Assembly elections in April.
The accused have been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the National Highways Act, 1956, and the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (WBMPO) Act, 1972. The NIA has outlined the specific roles of each accused in organizing road blockades and unlawfully detaining judicial officers involved in the electoral roll revision process in Malda.
The NIA, taking over the investigation following the Supreme Court’s directives, discovered that the accused collaborated to disrupt statutory processes by participating in unlawful assemblies, blocking roads, and restraining judicial officers. These actions not only disrupted the electoral process but also impeded public servants from carrying out their duties, leading to a disturbance in law and order in the area.
Further investigation is ongoing to apprehend and prosecute other absconding individuals involved in the conspiracy and related unlawful activities. The case is linked to the violence that erupted at the Mothabari Block Office in Malda district on April 1 during protests related to the electoral roll revision exercise, where judicial officers were reportedly attacked while on duty.
