Kolkata, April 4 A team of NIA officials, investigating the siege of seven judicial officers involved in the SIR exercise, filmed the incident at the Mothabari office in Malda on the second day of their visit on Saturday, a senior district official said.
The NIA has been tasked by the Election Commission to investigate the incident that occurred on Wednesday, following a directive from the Supreme Court, which has criticized the West Bengal administration over the issue.
The 24-member team of the federal anti-terror investigation agency, led by a DIG-ranked official, filmed the Mothabari BDO office and the area outside where a mob had gathered, refusing to allow the judicial officers to leave until they were allowed to meet, the district official said.
A source in the NIA said the federal investigation agency team will soon interrogate the "mastermind" behind the incident.
A former AIMIM candidate was arrested on Friday, with police describing him as the "mastermind" behind Wednesday's blockade and siege in the Kaliachak area of Malda.
The NIA team will also speak to the seven judicial officers, currently staying in different hotels in Malda town, to get their account of the incident, the source said.
A total of 19 cases have been registered, and 35 arrests have been made in the matter so far.
On the first day of the visit, the NIA team spoke to police and other personnel at Mothabari and collected samples from the spot where a mob had gathered and allegedly hurled bricks at vehicles when security forces had tried to lift the blockade.
The unrest began on Wednesday morning when residents of Mothabari, Sujapur, and adjoining areas blocked NH-12 to protest against the alleged deletion of names from the electoral rolls during the SIR exercise.
As the agitation spread, the seven judicial officers involved in the revision process were confined inside the Kaliachak-II block office from around 4 pm until nearly midnight. They could only be rescued after the police dispersed the crowd.
