'I Don't Want To Politicise It, But...': CJI On 7 Judicial Officers Held Hostage In Malda

The day after, tensions flared in West Bengal’s Malda district as a group of protesters gheraoed seven judicial officers for hours. The Supreme Court on Thursday (April 2) took serious note of the incident, citing a “trust deficit between the state government and the Election Commission of India.” The bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed concern over the development, remarking that he did not want to politicise the issue but questioned how such a situation was allowed to occur.The standoff, centred around alleged deletions from electoral rolls as judicial officers are working under tight deadlines to complete the adjudication process before polling in West Bengal on April 23 and 29. A protest began outside the Kaliachak 2 Block

Development Office earlier in the day on Wednesday and was continuing late into the night. According to officials, the protesters initially sought a meeting with the judicial officers. After being denied entry, they began a demonstration around 4 pm and gheraoed the premises.

Three women judicial officers were among those stuck inside the office during the protest, officials said. "We have alerted the authorities. The district magistrate and the superintendent of police have been directed to reach the spot immediately," a senior official in the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office said. A report on the incident has also been sought from the Director General of Police (DGP), he added.

'Shocking'

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta termed the incident “shocking” and said it raised concerns over reliance on state security, while senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, said political parties were not involved but acknowledged the seriousness of the matter.

The court, also referring to media reports, said it would leave it to the Election Commission to requisition paramilitary or other forces if needed, stressing that a strong message must go out as the incident amounted to an affront to the majesty of the court.