West Bengal Assembly polls: While real culprits escaped, NIA harassing local people: Mamata on action in Malda gherao

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday, April 4, 2026, alleged that the NIA was rounding up innocent local people and harassing them while the real culprits behind the gherao and violence against judicial officials at Mothabari in Malda district were on the run.

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Addressing an election rally at Manikchak in Malda, he urged the gathering not to approach judicial officers who are hearing cases ‘under decision’ post-SIR, but instead approach the courts for re-inclusion of names erroneously excluded from the voters’ list.

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“Two community members fooled the judges and escaped. Now local youths are being harassed by the NIA. They have caught around 50 innocent people in the name of investigations,” Ms. Banerjee said, apparently referring to the ISF and AIMIM.

There were gasps of disbelief from the dais after many hands were raised from those present at the public meeting when Banerjee asked those whose names had been deleted from the electoral rolls to raise their hands.

The TMC chairman told the local leaders of the party on the stage, “There is no need for our party to hold political rallies and meetings. My priority is to help these people apply to the courts to include the names that were mistakenly deleted from the voter rolls.” he said.

Addressing the meeting, she said, “Do not fall for any provocation. BJP wants to use central institutions to incite violence and then rally people like it did in Mothabari.”

Seven judicial officers were held hostage at the local BDO office in Mothabari area of ​​Malda district and the eighth was kept in a vehicle for nearly nine hours on Wednesday (April 1) following a large crowd protesting the post-SIR deletion of names from voter lists, turning violent by blocking roads, vandalizing vehicles and attacking police personnel.

So far, 35 people have been arrested by the State CID in connection with the violence. The NIA was tasked by the EC to investigate the incident following directions from the Supreme Court, which condemned the West Bengal administration over the matter.