The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a local political leader in connection with the pre-election violence that erupted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal’s Malda district in April 2026. The arrest brings the total number of accused taken into custody in the case to 30.
Key Accused Apprehended
Sayem Chowdhary, also known as Babu Chowdhary, a local leader from Mothbari in Malda, was taken into custody by an NIA team after being questioned at the agency’s branch office in Kolkata. According to the NIA, Chowdhary was a key accused in the illegal detention of judicial officers at the BDO Office Block-II on April 1, 2026.
He was part of a mob that disrupted law and order and attacked police personnel on duty. Nine police officers were injured in the attacks. The NIA investigation revealed that Chowdhary delivered a speech outside the BDO office a day before the incident, inciting people to engage in violent protests.
Conspiracy and Violent Protests
Investigations indicate that Chowdhary conspired with other co-accused individuals and actively participated in unlawful assemblies that resorted to violence, intimidation, and obstruction during the SIR exercise. The SIR, a pre-poll revision of electoral rolls, sparked widespread protests and blockades in Malda, leading to the detention of judicial officers.
The NIA is probing over a dozen cases related to the mob protests and illegal detentions. The agency is continuing its investigation to identify and track all accused involved in the larger conspiracy behind the large-scale pre-poll violence.
Supreme Court Directive
The NIA initiated the probe on the directives of the Supreme Court, which took suo moto cognizance of the April violence in Malda. The court’s intervention came after reports of widespread unrest and attacks on government officials during the electoral roll revision process.
