The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has officially taken over the probe into the violent attack on judicial officers in Malda’s Mothabari. Following a stern rebuke from the Supreme Court, an NIA special team reached Mothabari police station on Friday. The apex court observed that the law and order in West Bengal has “completely collapsed” and issued show-cause notices to the State DGP, Malda DM, and SP.

Judicial Scrutiny: A bench led by the Chief Justice has directed the top officials to appear via virtual hearing on April 6. The ADG (North Bengal) admitted that there was a significant delay in rescuing the stranded judges. The court emphasized that ensuring the safety of judicial officers on election duty is the non-negotiable responsibility of the Election Commission.

Investigation Details: Police have identified lawyer Mofakkerul Islam as the prime instigator. Based on CCTV evidence, 18 individuals, including ISF candidate Maulana Shahjahan Ali, have been arrested and remanded to 10-day police custody. The NIA will investigate the intelligence failure and why the officials were not relocated despite security concerns. A preliminary report is to be submitted to the Supreme Court by April 6. While the situation on National Highway 12 has returned to normalcy, heavy police patrolling continues in the area.