Malda Hostage Case: AIMIM-linked key accused held while fleeing

Malda: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) began its probe on Friday into Malda's Kaliachak (Mothabari) incident where seven judicial officers were held hostage by a local mob two days ago, with a federal team arriving at the Mothabari police station from New Delhi.

The NIA team visited the Block Development Office (BDO) complex in the area, where the officers were held hostage, prompting the Supreme Court to direct the Election Commission of India to initiate a federal investigation into the incident.

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Meanwhile, Mofakkarul Islam, the alleged mastermind behind the hostage crisis, was arrested by West Bengal Police from Bagdogra airport near Siliguri Friday morning, with cops claiming the advocate, facing a warrant, was trying to escape to Bengaluru. An advocate by profession, Islam is associated with Asaduddin Owaisi-founded All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). Earlier, the AISF candidate from Mothabari assembly constituency in Malda district, Maulana Muhammad Shahjahan Ali Qadri, was also arrested by West Bengal Police.

A total of 33 people have so far been arrested, including Islam and a local candidate of All India Secular Front, while the state police registered 19 cases in connection with the Malda incident that cut off highway links between the northern and southern regions of the poll-bound state.

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"One advocate, a resident of Itahar, who was instigating people, has been arrested. Three cases were registered against him at Kaliachak PS. On our request, CID arrested him from Bagdogra airport this morning," ADG and IGP (North Bengal) K Jayraman said. "They were trying to escape to Bengaluru. One more person has been arrested with him....He was instigating the people. He is active on social media, and that is also a part of our investigation."

On Wednesday night, in a video, a person was seen addressing an agitated mob at Kaliachak, which had kept the judicial officers hostage for around seven hours. Later, the person was identified as Islam and an arrest warrant was issued against him.

Seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage on Wednesday inside the BDO complex at Kaliachak's Mothabari by a group of voters whose names had been deleted during judicial adjudication as part of the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.

Around 1 am on Thursday, a large police contingent led by senior district officials reached the spot, dispersed the protesters, rescued the judicial officers, and escorted them to a safe location.