AIMIM leader held for Malda standoff
In a significant breakthrough, the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Mofakkerul Islam, the main accused and alleged instigator of the violent protests that led to road blockade, stone-pelting and wrongful detention of seven judicial officers at Kaliachak in Malda district on Wednesday night. The arrest was made on Friday morning from close vicinity of the Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri, as he allegedly attempted to flee the State.
Mofakkerul Islam, a practicing advocate at the Calcutta High Court and a leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), had contested the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections from the Itahar constituency on an AIMIM ticket. He hails from North Dinajpur district and was residing in Kolkata at the time of the incident. Police sources described him as the “mastermind” behind Wednesday’s unrest, claiming he incited the crowd through provocative speeches at the protest site.
It may be noted that on Wednesday, a large group of protesters agitated over the deletion of names from the electoral roll rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise staged widespread road blockades across national and state highways in Malda district. The situation escalated
at the Kaliachak-2 Block Development Office under the Mothabari assembly constituency, where seven judicial officers, including three women, were gheraoed and held hostage inside the premises for nearly nine hours. The officers were engaged in judicial adjudication of voter list disputes under the ‘logical discrepancy’ category.
Protesters allegedly hurled stones at police vehicles and blocked key routes and prevented the officers from leaving. The standoff ended only after a police team intervened late in the evening. The incident drew sharp criticism from the Supreme Court, which took suo motu cognisance and described it as a serious obstruction of justice.
The Election Commission has since handed over the probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has already visited the site and collected evidence.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Police registered multiple cases at Kaliachak police station against Islam and others for instigation, unlawful Assembly, and violence. CID officials tracked his movements after the incident, and intercepted him at Bagdogra Airport while he was reportedly trying to board a flight. An associate was also detained along with him. So far, over 35 people have been arrested in connection with the violence.
West Bengal Police posted a statement on X to announce the arrest of the main accused. “Mofakkerul Islam, the main accused and instigator In the recent incident of road blockade, violence and wrongful detention of judicial officers at Kaliachak has been arrested by the CID.”
Islam has claimed in a video message circulated after his arrest that he was detained because he participated in protests against the deletion of voters’ names. He stated he was on his way to professional work when apprehended. The arrest comes amid heightened political tension in poll-bound West. Bengal, with the Malda episode triggering a blame game between parties. The NIA probe is expected to delve deeper into the conspiracy angle and possibly larger links behind the organised protests. Further updates on the case, including the chargesheet and court proceedings, are awaited as the investigation continues.
