"No One Told Me": Mamata Banerjee Distances Herself From Bengal Judicial Hostage Crisis

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she was unaware that seven judicial officers had been held hostage overnight in Malda district, a remark that came shortly after sharp criticism from the Supreme Court of India. The incident, which unfolded amid heightened political tensions ahead of the state Assembly elections, has raised serious concerns over law and order and administrative control in the region.

Addressing a poll rally, Mamata Banerjee stated that she learned about the hostage situation only late at night through a journalist and claimed that the state administration was no longer under her control. She alleged that the Election Commission of India had assumed authority over law enforcement due to recent administrative reshuffles ahead of the elections. Banerjee further accused the Commission of influencing state machinery and described the situation as akin to a “super president's rule".

The Chief Minister also criticised the Election Commission for what she termed a complete failure to maintain law and order. At the same time, she acknowledged public anger surrounding the revision of electoral rolls, suggesting that dissatisfaction among voters may have contributed to the unrest. The controversy centres around the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which has led to the removal of several names from voter lists, sparking protests across parts of the state.

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Meanwhile, the Supreme Court delivered a strong rebuke over the incident, terming it a “calculated and motivated” attempt to undermine judicial authority. Chief Justice Surya Kant observed that the episode appeared to be an effort to intimidate judicial officers and disrupt the adjudication process. The court indicated that a federal agency such as the Central Bureau of Investigation or the National Investigation Agency could be tasked with probing the matter.

According to reports, the seven judicial officers, including three women, were detained by a large group of voters whose names had been removed from the electoral rolls. The situation escalated on Wednesday as protests intensified in Malda, with demonstrators expressing anger over the voter list revisions. The officers were reportedly held for nearly nine hours before security forces intervened.

A combined team of police and paramilitary personnel rescued the officers around 1 a.m. on Thursday and moved them to safety. However, the evacuation was not without incident, as reports indicated attempts by protesters to attack vehicles transporting the officials, including stone-pelting that damaged at least one vehicle. The episode has further intensified the political and legal debate surrounding electoral processes and governance in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming polls.

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