In West Bengal, anger over the deletion of 63 lakh voter names ahead of the assembly elections erupted into violence this week. The Supreme Court of India stripped state police of their investigative powers on Thursday after an angry mob held seven judicial officers hostage for 10 hours. Following the court’s severe reprimand, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed her own administration kept her completely in the dark about the crisis.
The incident began Wednesday afternoon in Malda. A crowd protesting the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls surrounded the Kaliachak-II Block Development Office. They trapped seven judicial officers inside. Three women and a five-year-old child were among the hostages. The mob blockaded National Highway 12, cutting off the main route between North and South Bengal, and denied the captives food and water.
Rescue teams finally evacuated the officers around 1:00 AM on Thursday following direct intervention from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. Protesters pelted the departing convoy with stones and bamboo sticks.
The sheer breakdown of security triggered immediate federal action. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant took suo motu cognizance of the crisis on Thursday. He issued show-cause notices to West Bengal’s Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, citing “criminal failure” and “inaction” during the siege. The court ordered the Election Commission to deploy central security forces to protect judicial officers and their homes.
Banerjee addressed the public on Thursday and deflected responsibility. “Nobody informed me about the incident in Malda yesterday,” she said, according to a televised broadcast. “I got to know from a journalist. The Chief Secretary has not called me till today.” She accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of orchestrating the riot as a game plan to force President’s Rule in the state. She also directed blame at the Election Commission for failing to protect the staff.
BJP Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar rejected her defense. He explicitly blamed Banerjee’s “continuous instigating statements” for fueling the mob attack.
How the Supreme Court’s Jurisdiction Transfer Upends Bengal’s Election Security
The Supreme Court’s intervention officially brands West Bengal as the “most polarised state” in the country, establishing a legal precedent that local police can no longer be trusted with election-related security. By removing the state police’s investigative jurisdiction and mandating that either the Central Bureau of Investigation or the National Investigation Agency handle the hostage probe, the apex court essentially neutralized the state government’s authority over electoral violence. This judicial override forces all future findings directly to the Supreme Court, ensuring local political pressure cannot influence the outcome as the remaining 60 lakh voter adjudication cases proceed.