The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed charge sheets against 23 individuals in two cases related to the harassment of judges in Mothabari, West Bengal. These cases involve incidents during Special Intensive Revision work in the minority-dominated Malda district earlier this year. The charges include offenses like attempted murder, assault on government servants, and obstruction of government work under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
In one case, 22 accused individuals have been charged, while in the other case, one individual faces charges. The charge sheet for the first case spans 54 pages, while the second case’s charge sheet is 11 pages long. A total of 12 cases were registered for the harassment of judicial officers during the Special Intensive Revision process. The NIA had previously filed chargesheets against 31 individuals in four cases related to this matter.
The NIA recently filed charge sheets in two additional cases concerning the Mothabari incident. One of these charge sheets includes the name of Rinku Aari. The agency has now filed charge sheets in 6 out of the 12 cases. Congress leader Sayem Chowdhury was arrested by NIA sleuths on June 25 in connection with the Mothabari case. Chowdhury, a former Congress candidate, is suspected of having a significant role in organizing the siege.
NIA officials revealed that Chowdhury, also known as Babu Chowdhury, is believed to have made provocative remarks against the SIR process and judicial officers. The agency also suspects his involvement in the attack on judges’ vehicles after they left the BDO office.
