Moffakkerul Islam, AIMIM leader, the alleged mastermind behind the Malda violence where judicial officials were held hostage, was on Friday (April 3, 2026) arrested by West Bengal Police.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Moffakkerul Islam, the alleged mastermind behind the Malda violence where judicial officials were held hostage, was on Friday (April 3, 2026) arrested by West Bengal Police. Mr. Islam, a lawyer and resident of Itahar in Uttar Dinajpur district, was seen making speeches outside the block development office atKaliachak II block and urging the crowd not to leave the area. He had contested the 2021 Assembly polls as a candidate of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
K. Jayaraman, Inspector General of Police, North Bengal, told media persons in Malda on Friday that Mr. Islam was intercepted and detained while fleeing the State from Bagdogra airport. He added that 35 persons were arrested for the violence and 19 cases have been initiated. The police officer said that people have a right to protest but they cannot resort to violence.
NIA team reaches Malda
A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited Mothabari and Kaliachak police stations in Malda district to conduct a probe into the gherao of seven judicial officers by protesting locals over the deletion of names in the SIR exercise. The NIA team consists of 24 members led by a senior official.
The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday (April 2) asked the NIA to probe the violence in Malda district where seven judicial officers were gheraoed by a mob on Wednesday evening. The officers, who had gone to Kaliachak for judicial adjudication work, were gheraoed by a mob for several hours at Kaliachak block II. The police had to rescue the officials late on Wednesday night.
During the hearing on the matter on Thursday, the Supreme Court had directed the Commission to entrust the inquiry/ investigation of the gherao of judicial officers to an independent agency, such as the Central Bureau of Investigation or the NIA. The Supreme Court had said gheraoing of the seven judicial officers was not only a “brazen attempt” to browbeat the officers but amounted to a challenge to the authority of the top court.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday blamed AIMIM and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) for the gherao of judicial officers in Malda district and accused the Congress and the BJP of instigation.
“The BJP loaned him (the accused) from the AIMIM and brought him here,” the Trinamool Congress chairperson claimed, while addressing an election rally at Harirampur in Dakshin Dinajpur district.
Ms. Banerjee emphasised that the mastermind behind the gherao of the judicial officers was arrested by the State’s CID, and claimed that the police is still under her control and not the Election Commission.
On Thursday, the Chief Minister had urged the people not to resort to violence and said that the gameplan of the BJP was to impose President’s rule in the State by highlighting such violence.
Published – April 03, 2026 11:18 am IST
