'Deplorable': Supreme Court slams Bengal officials for 'inaction' over attack on judicial officers

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the West Bengal adminstration over its inaction in respect of an incident of seven judicial officers being held hostage for hours in Malda district by a group of voters whose names were deleted from the voter list.

Finding West Bengal as "the most polarised state", the top court directed for the CBI or the NIA probe into the incident and ordered for deployment of central forces, saying it exposed complete failure of the state administration.

Calling the incident as deplorable, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi sought responses from the state home secretary, DGP and other officials for their "inaction" and permitted the Election Commission to seek either a CBI or NIA probe into the unfortunate incident on April 1, 2026.

The bench said the judicial officers given the task to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise have to be protected by the state.

"This incident is a brazen attempt not only to browbeat judicial officers but also challenges the authority of this court. It was not routine incident but appears to be a calculated, motivated move to demoralise the judicial officers and stop the ongoing process of adjudicating of objections in left out cases," the bench said.

The court directed the EC to entrust the enquiry /investigation into the incident of April 1 to either the CBI or NIA. The compliance report should be submitted to this court. The agency would be obligated to submit a preliminary enquiry report directly to this court, the bench said.

The court took up the matter without the formal listing after considering the media reports about the incident.

Observing that the law and order machinery in the state has "broken down", the bench castigated the state officers for their delayed action in the issue.

Seven judicial officials, including three women, were taken hostage by the anti-social elements at Malda district, the CJI said, adding that he himself had to monitor the situation till late at night on Wednesday.

The bench pulled up the state of West Bengal for failing to protect the judicial officers, given the task to conduct the SIR exercise. The court rejected the state Advocate General's submission that it was "apolitical protest", saying it was not a routine incident, rather ex facie a calculated and deliberate move to demoralise judicial officers.

In a warning, the court said, it will not allow anyone to interfere and take law in their hands in order to create psychological attack on the mind of judicial officers. It said, the act constituted criminal contempt.

"This is also an abdication of duty by the West Bengal government and the officers need to furnish reasons why even after being informed they did not ensure safe evacuation of the officers," the court said.

The bench was highly critical of the fact that neither district magistrate nor Superintendent of police reached the spot. The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court had to call the DGP and home secretary. Following which, the home secretary and DGP reached the residence of CJ of Calcutta HC.

The court noted that only after the intervention of the DGP and Home Secretary, the judicial officers were released after 12 am.

"When they were released at midnight and they were going to their places, there was stone pelting on their vehicles and attacks by sticks etc,'' the bench noted.

The court said it was imperative for the state government to inform EC about the incident.

It directed the Commission to deploy central forces for the safe working of judicial officers. The EC was also told to deploy forces at the residence of such officers.

"If any judicial officer has any apprehension regarding threat to the family, such threat perception should be immediately assessed and immediate measures to be taken. The EC and state government are directed to take all remedial measures for the safe functioning of the task entrusted to the judicial officers. Home secretary, DGP, district magistrate and all police officials are directed to ensure that not more than two or three persons shall be allowed to enter to file objections or when hearing takes place and not more than five shall be allowed to assemble. Adequate measures to be taken in his regard," the court ordered.

The bench directed the chief secretary, DGP, District magistrate and SSP to show cause why action should not be taken in light of the letter received from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. All these officers were directed to remain present online on April 6.