New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on the West Bengal government following the Malda incident, where seven judicial officers were held hostage for several hours.
The top court described West Bengal as the most polarised state and said the judicial officers’ gherao in Malda was a “preplanned, calculated and motivated” attempt to derail the electoral process.
"Unfortunately in your state each one speaks political language and this is the most polarised state. You are forcing us to make observations. Do you think we are not aware of who are the miscreants? I was monitoring everything till 2 am. Very very unfortunate," the Chief Justice told the West Bengal Advocate General.
Among the seven judicial officers were three women engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. They were held inside the Block Development Officer’s office as protesters objected to voter deletions.
The court also issued showcause notices to the state’s top officials, including the Chief Secretary and DGP, asking them to explain why action should not be taken against them. It described the incident as an “abdication of duty” and sought reasons for their “inaction.”
The apex court directed the Election Commission of India to requisition and deploy adequate central forces to ensure the safety of judicial officers and the smooth conduct of the SIR adjudication process.
“This incident is a brazen attempt not only to intimidate judicial officers but also to challenge the authority of this Court. It was not a routine occurrence but appears to be a calculated, motivated move to demoralise judicial officers and halt the ongoing adjudication of objections in left-out cases,” the court said.
