In a candid press briefing, ADG North Bengal K. Jayaraman addressed the controversial Mothabari incident where judicial officers were held hostage inside a BDO office for nearly eight hours on April 1st. While acknowledging the significant delay in the rescue operation, the top cop provided a critical explanation for the administration’s restrained response.

According to ADG Jayaraman, the protesting mob strategically included a large number of women and children. This made it impossible for the police to resort to direct force or lathi-charge to disperse the crowd, as it posed a high risk of collateral injury. The police had to prioritize a peaceful resolution to avoid a tragedy, which ultimately delayed the extraction of the officials. It was only around midnight that central forces were deployed to safely escort the judicial officers out. This revelation has highlighted the challenging circumstances faced by law enforcement during the volatile pre-poll unrest in Malda.