The Supreme Court has condemned the 'complete failure' of the West Bengal administration in handling the hostage-taking of seven judicial officers in Malda district.
The court described the incident as a 'deplorable' and 'calculated, well-planned' attempt to browbeat the judiciary and challenge the authority of the apex court.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi took suo motu cognisance of the incident and directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to deploy central forces at all places where judicial officers are adjudicating voter objections.
The court also asked the ECI to hand over the probe into the incident to either the CBI or the NIA and issued notices to the chief secretary, director general of police, home secretary, and district officials of West Bengal to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.
The incident unfolded on April 1 when seven judicial officers, including three women, were confined for nearly 10 hours inside a BDO office in Kaliachak, Malda, after being surrounded by protesters.
The officers were denied basic necessities such as food and water, and senior officials, including the district magistrate and superintendent of police, did not reach the spot until late in the night.
The court expressed visible displeasure at attempts to shift responsibility between the state administration and the ECI and warned that it would not allow anyone to take law into their own hands to create a psychological fear in the minds of judicial officers.
