Bengal SIR: SC orders central forces to be deployed after seven judicial officers gheraoed in Malda

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the deployment of central forces to provide security to judicial officers helping complete the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, reported Bar and Bench.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi passed the order after taking note of seven judicial officers having been allegedly gheraoed for hours on Wednesday.

Commenting on the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party was plotting to spark unrest in the state, so that it could impose President’s Rule.

Judicial officers gheraoed

The officers, including three women, were allegedly held hostage in Malda district’s Kaliachak by persons protesting against the alleged mass deletion of voters during the revision of electoral rolls, according to The Telegraph.

Stones were thrown at their vehicles when the judicial officers were travelling to their residence, reported Live Law.

They were released from the mob after midnight following the intervention of the Calcutta High Court chief justice.

On Thursday, the bench said that the incident was a “brazen attempt not only to browbeat judicial officers, but also challenges authority of this court, Bar and Bench reported.

“It was not a 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 court observed.

The court added that it would not allow anyone to interfere “and take law in their hands in order to create psychological attack on the mind of judicial officers”.

It also described the incident as an “abdication of duty” by the West Bengal government.

Kant remarked that he had “never seen such a polarised state”, and that politics was reflected even in the compliance of court orders, Live Law reported.

The state administration currently reports to the Election Commission as the Model Code of Conduct took effect on March 15, when the schedule for the Assembly polls was announced.

Citing a communication from the High Court chief justice, the Supreme Court noted that no action had been taken to release the judicial officers until 8.30 pm on Wednesday.

The court also described as “highly deplorable” the manner in which the state chief secretary, the director general of police, the superintendent of police and the district collector reacted to the situation, reported Live Law.

The officers were issued show-cause notices to explain why action should not be taken against them. They were also directed to be present for the hearing of the matter on April 6.

The Trinamool Congress government in the state told the court that the officers had been appointed by the Election Commission ahead of the polls.

The polls will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The votes will be counted on May 4.

CM urges protestors not to fall for ‘provocations’

Later on Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party had paid “some traitors to provoke” voters, and urged people to remain calm, The Indian Express reported.

Addressing an election rally in Murshidabad district, she said the protests and gherao of judicial officers were part of the BJP’s “game plan”.

“[The BJP does not] want elections,” The Indian Express quoted Banerjee as claiming. “They want President’s Rule. Do you want that? Or do you want a peaceful election through which Trinamool Congress comes back to power? If you trust me, then don’t fall for any provocation.”

The Trinamool Congress had earlier alleged that the “unfortunate incident” in Kaliachak was a result of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission’s “dirty conspiracy”.

“They removed and transferred experienced state government officials and senior police officers who knew every corner of Bengal like the back of their hand,” the party said. “In their place, they imposed central officers who have zero understanding of our geography, demography or ground reality.”

It added that the “outsiders” are ill-equipped to handle situations in West Bengal and that the BJP was “using this isolated incident to malign the entire state and paint Bengal as lawless”.

It also claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was at fault for the incident.

The TMC demanded that Shah should resign “for repeatedly failing in his duty to protect the people, for weakening law and order, and for playing politics with Bengal’s peace”.

West Bengal is among the 12 states and Union Territories where the special intensive revision of the electoral roll was undertaken.

On February 28, the Election Commission published the final electoral roll for West Bengal, showing that more than 61 lakh voters had been excluded.

However, the process continued with about 60 lakh “doubtful and pending” cases remaining under adjudication based on their objections to their exclusions from the draft rolls published in December.

On February 20, the Supreme Court ordered that judicial officers of the rank of district judge or additional district judge be appointed to help complete the revision exercise in the state amid a tussle between the Trinamool Congress government and the Election Commission.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had moved the Supreme Court against the exercise, raising concerns that voter roll revision poses an immediate and irreversible risk of mass disenfranchisement of eligible electors in the Assembly elections. She sought the court’s direction that the elections be conducted on the basis of the existing electoral rolls prepared last year.

The Election Commission has published several supplementary voter list following adjudications. The High Court informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that more than 47 lakh of the 60 lakh objections had been disposed of as of Tuesday, PTI reported.