judicial-officers-rescued-after-9-hr-siege-at-malda-bdo-office

Tension gripped the Kaliachak-II Block Development Office (BDO) in Malda after seven judicial officers, engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, were confined inside the premises for nearly nine hours by agitating protesters. Among those trapped were three women officers.

 

According to official sources, the protest began on Wednesday afternoon when a group of residents gathered outside the BDO office, alleging that their names had been wrongfully excluded from the voter list during the ongoing revision process. The demonstrators demanded immediate access to the judicial officers to address their grievances.

 

When entry into the office was denied, the protest escalated into a full-scale siege. By around 4:00 pm, the agitators had effectively cordoned off the office complex, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. The situation remained tense well into the night.

 

Police personnel were deployed to the spot, and after hours of negotiation and crowd control efforts, all seven judicial officers were safely rescued shortly after midnight.

 

Administrative officials confirmed that the officers had been inside the building throughout the standoff. The presence of three female judicial officers among those confined added to concerns over their safety.

 

The incident has drawn a strong reaction from the Election Commission. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has sought a detailed report from the Director General of Police (DGP) regarding the breach of security. Officials stated that both the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police were directed to reach the site immediately to oversee the situation.

 

An official from the CEO’s office said that higher authorities have been informed, and appropriate action will follow based on the report submitted.

 

The judicial officers were in the district as part of a Supreme Court-mandated exercise to review cases of voters whose names were marked as “under adjudication” in the electoral roll published on February 28. The process aims to ensure accuracy by determining whether such names should be retained or removed.

 

The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of officials engaged in election-related duties, especially in politically sensitive regions.