In a sharp rebuke to the West Bengal administration, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday described the gherao of judicial officers in Malda as a “preplanned, calculated and motivated” attempt to derail the electoral process and undermine the authority of the judiciary.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, while hearing the matter, observed that the incident was not spontaneous but a deliberate effort to intimidate judicial officers engaged in election-related duties. He termed it a “brazen attempt to challenge the authority of this Court” and to demoralise officials carrying out their constitutional responsibilities.
The apex court made it clear that the Malda incident was aimed at stalling the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a crucial exercise in the run-up to elections.
“It was a well-calculated move to demoralise the judicial officers and to stall the process,” the Chief Justice remarked, indicating the seriousness with which the court views the attack on institutional functioning.
The court also flagged concerns over increasing polarisation, remarking that West Bengal appears to be among the most politically polarised states, where administrative actions are often viewed through a political lens.
Detailing the timeline of events, the court highlighted glaring lapses on the part of the state administration in responding to the crisis.
The gherao reportedly began around 3:30 pm, following which the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court alerted authorities and sought urgent intervention.
However, the court noted that no effective action was taken for several hours.
Even by 8:30 pm, there was no meaningful response from the administration.
The Home Secretary and Director General of Police were later contacted through a group call involving the High Court Chief Justice.
Despite assurances, no immediate steps were taken to rescue the officers.
The court further expressed concern that senior district officials, including the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, failed to reach the spot during the critical period.
The Supreme Court came down heavily on senior bureaucrats, including the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and Home Secretary, terming their conduct as “deplorable.”
It also criticised the apparent politicisation of the situation, observing, “Unfortunately, in your state, everyone speaks politically,” while addressing the state’s legal representatives.
Indicating that the judiciary was closely tracking developments, the Chief Justice remarked that the court was fully aware of the individuals involved in the incident.
“Do you think we are not aware of who the miscreants are? I was monitoring everything until 2 am. Very, very unfortunate,” he said, underlining the gravity of the situation.
