Kolkata, April 3 – The investigation team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), entrusted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to investigate the case of harassment of seven judicial adjudicating officers in the minority-dominated Malda district in West Bengal, will reach Kaliachak later today and will first speak to the affected officers.
At the time the report was filed, the NIA had not yet specified the details of the investigation team or their next course of action in the matter. However, sources aware of the development said that besides speaking to the affected judicial officers and learning about their experience on Wednesday, the NIA's investigation team might also interrogate the 18 accused persons who have already been arrested by the West Bengal Police in the matter.
Among the 18 accused arrested in this connection, one is Maulana Shahjahan Ali, the candidate of the All India Secular Front (AISF) from the Mothabari Assembly constituency in Malda district.
On Thursday afternoon, a division bench of the Supreme Court directed the ECI to choose either the NIA or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the matter. Finally, on Thursday night, the ECI sent a communication to the NIA's director general, directing him to start the investigation by Friday morning.
The NIA is supposed to submit its first preliminary report in the matter to the same division bench of the Supreme Court on April 6.
Meanwhile, amidst the harassment of judges at Kaliachak on Wednesday night, the ECI had also directed the West Bengal Police to take strict action against unauthorized gatherings of people anywhere in the state, especially in front of the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, in central Kolkata, which has been the center of protest demonstrations since last Tuesday, mainly by groups affiliated to the ruling Trinamool Congress.
"No procession, meeting, or gathering can be held without permission. Anyone who violates this order may be arrested, as has been directed by the Commission," an insider from the CEO's office said.
On Wednesday, seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage inside a block office at Kaliachak in Malda district by a group of voters whose names had been deleted during the process of judicial adjudication under the "logical discrepancy" category.
At around 1 a.m. on Thursday, a large police contingent led by senior district officials reached the spot, dispersed the protesters, rescued the judicial officers, and escorted them to a safe location. They had been surrounded for around nine hours.
There were also reports that, even while being shifted to a safe location after their rescue, an attempt was made to attack the convoy.
