Poll body hands over Bengal probe to NIA after judicial officers attacked

Supreme Court had slammed the state govt after 7 judicial officers were gheraoed for 8 hours, National Highway blocked over names deleted under SIR

Hours after the Supreme Court ordered it to hand over the probe to either the Central Bureau of Investigation or the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Election Commission on Thursday wrote to the NIA Director General to conduct an inquiry into the incident of seven judicial officers in West Bengal being held inside a BDO office in Malda for hours as a mob surrounded them.

The judicial officers are among hundreds of such officials appointed on orders of the Supreme Court to decide on the eligibility of 60.06 lakh electors in the state. The group of seven judicial officers were allegedly gheraoed and were unable to leave a BDO office in Kaliachowk area of Malda district. They were rescued by police after eight hours, and the police van they were travelling in was pelted with stones by the mob.

Taking note of the incident, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the EC to entrust the investigation to the CBI or NIA in the course of the day.

Citing the court order, the EC wrote to the NIA DG saying: “…the necessary inquiry/investigation into the matter be conducted, and a preliminary inquiry report be submitted directly to the Hon’ble Court.”

An EC source said an NIA team was expected to reach the state on Friday to start their investigation. Earlier in the evening, the EC held a meeting with the West Bengal officials to review the situation, it is learnt.

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Hours after the Supreme Court ordered it to hand over the probe to either the Central Bureau of Investigation or the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Election Commission on Thursday wrote to the NIA Director General to conduct an inquiry into the incident of seven judicial officers in West Bengal being held inside a BDO office in Malda for hours as a mob surrounded them.

The judicial officers are among hundreds of such officials appointed on orders of the Supreme Court to decide on the eligibility of 60.06 lakh electors in the state. The group of seven judicial officers were allegedly gheraoed and were unable to leave a BDO office in Kaliachowk area of Malda district. They were rescued by police after eight hours, and the police van they were travelling in was pelted with stones by the mob.

Taking note of the incident, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the EC to entrust the investigation to the CBI or NIA in the course of the day.

Citing the court order, the EC wrote to the NIA DG saying: “…the necessary inquiry/investigation into the matter be conducted, and a preliminary inquiry report be submitted directly to the Hon’ble Court.”

An EC source said an NIA team was expected to reach the state on Friday to start their investigation. Earlier in the evening, the EC held a meeting with the West Bengal officials to review the situation, it is learnt.