The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has requested custody of 12 out of the 49 accused individuals arrested for harassing judges involved in Special Intensive Revision work in Mothabari, Malda district. The remaining 37 have been placed under judicial custody, while the lawyer of one of the arrested, Mofakkerul Islam, has filed a bail application. Mofakkerul was labeled as the ‘mastermind’ by the state police.
The case related to the Mothabari incident was heard at the Kolkata City Sessions Court, where a total of 52 individuals have been arrested, with 49 of them being booked on a particular day. Mofakkerul’s lawyer has claimed that his client is being made a ‘scapegoat’ and alleged the existence of a significant conspiracy. However, the NIA has stated that the investigation is still in its early stages and hence refrains from disclosing all details publicly at this point.
According to Mofakkerul’s lawyer, the Supreme Court has directed an NIA investigation for transparency. He argued that Mofakkerul cooperated with the authorities to disperse the gathering and emphasized his innocence in the matter. The lawyer mentioned Mofakkerul’s social media popularity, stating that people recognized him and requested his assistance in dispersing the crowd.
The police also requested Mofakkerul’s cooperation, expressing optimism about the possibility of bail being granted. The incident in Mothabari on April 3 escalated over the Special Intensive Revision, with individuals allegedly excluded from the list surrounding the judges, leading to their detention late into the night. The Supreme Court intervened in the case, prompting the Election Commission to transfer the investigation to the NIA.
The CID of the state police arrested Mofakkerul, following which the NIA made additional arrests. The NIA lawyer informed the court about the involvement of the accused individuals, either directly or indirectly, in the incident. Stressing the preliminary stage of the investigation, the NIA refrained from disclosing all details to the public currently.
