NIA Arrests ISF Member and Detains Congress Candidate Over Court Gherao

MALDA/KOLKATA: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has intensified its crackdown on political violence today, arresting a panchayat member of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and detaining Sayem Chowdhury, a Congress candidate from the Mothabari constituency. The arrests are linked to the chaotic “gherao” of judicial officers on April 1, where local mobs allegedly surrounded and intimidated judges who were adjudicating disputes related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.

The NIA, acting under a directive from the Supreme Court and the Election Commission, is investigating whether the intimidation was a pre-planned conspiracy to disrupt the judicial process. Golam Rabbani, the ISF member arrested today, was reportedly identified through digital evidence and leads obtained from previous interrogations. The agency is probing potential links between local political leaders and organized groups aimed at destabilizing the region’s legal infrastructure.

The situation in Malda remains volatile. Supporters of the Congress and ISF have launched protests, claiming the NIA is being used to target strong opposition candidates in a minority-dominated district. However, the NIA maintains that the safety of the judiciary is a non-negotiable prerequisite for a fair election. The Supreme Court has already censured the state administration for failing to protect judicial officers during the April 1 incident, making this a high-stakes investigation that sits at the intersection of law, security, and electoral politics.