- Judicial officers in Malda warned of safety risks before being held hostage in Kaliachak 2 BDO office
- Seven officers were gheraoed over voter deletion protests and rescued by police around 1 am Thursday
- Officers cited space crunch, poor facilities, and an exhausting 54 km daily commute in a letter to DM
Judicial officers involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Malda, West Bengal, had expressed concerns about their safety nearly a week before they were held hostage, NDTV reported. On Wednesday afternoon, seven officers, including three women, were 'gheraoed' inside the Kaliachak 2 Block Development Office (BDO) by a crowd upset over alleged deletion of voter names from the rolls.
The officers had sent a letter to the Malda District Magistrate on March 23 highlighting their fears.
According to the letter acessed by NDTV, they (officers) stated that “as the date for the publication of the supplementary list approaches, the environment at the BDO Office, Kaliachak-ll, is becoming increasingly sensitive. There is a palpable apprehension of breach of security from disgruntled local elements who have been found ineligible for enrollment. This risk extends to our daily commute to this interior location.”
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The officers were trapped for several hours during the standoff. Police intervention late Wednesday night ensured their safety.
Officials said that “at around 1 am on Thursday, a large police contingent led by senior district officials reached the spot, dispersed the protesters and rescued the judicial officers.”
The incident occurred as part of the SIR process, which involves addressing objections from voters excluded from the electoral rolls ahead of the Bengal Assembly elections scheduled for April 23 and 29. Around 700 judicial officers from West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand are deployed to manage over 60 lakh objections during this revision process. The Supreme Court termed the hostage situation “a brazen and deliberate attempt to obstruct the administration of justice.”
The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, expressed concern that “despite prior intimation, the state authorities failed to provide prompt protection, leaving the officers without food or water for hours.”
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The top court issued show-cause notices to senior state officials, including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and Director-General of Police, seeking explanations for the inaction.
It also directed the Election Commission to “requisition and deploy adequate central forces to ensure the safety of judicial officers and the smooth conduct of the SIR adjudication process.”
In their letter to the District Magistrate, the officers highlighted infrastructural and logistical challenges at the BDO office.
They wrote that “the current workspace at the BDO Office is hampered by a severe space crunch, making it difficult to conduct adjudicatory work with the required judicial decorum. Most critically, there is a lack of adequate and hygienic washroom facilities, causing significant hardship, particularly for the three lady officers in our team.”
They also noted the burden of commuting long distances.
The officers stated that “five of us are currently residing in Malda Town. The daily 54 km round-trip to Kaliachak-ll is not only physically exhausting but also consumes nearly two hours of time that could be better utilised for the disposal of SIR cases. Furthermore, the daily requirement of security escorts and pilot cars for this long journey is an avoidable drain on public exchequer.”
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The officers requested that “in the interest of administrative efficiency, personal safety, and the timely completion of the SIR process, we collectively request that our workplace be shifted to a suitable location within Malda Town (preferably within or near the DM Establishment/Collectorate). This relocation would ensure a secure environment, provide proper amenities for the lady officers, and allow us to focus entirely on our adjudicatory functions without the burden of long-distance transit. We look forward to your favorable and immediate intervention in this matter.”
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