Kolkata, April 9 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency has applied to the court for the custody of 47 accused arrested in the Kaliachak incident, an official of the central investigation agency said.​

About 12 First Information Reports have already been filed in this incident. Incidentally, the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Malda district had already remanded those arrested in this incident to police custody. ​

Later, the court ordered that the 46 accused be placed in judicial custody. This time, the NIA wanted the accused in their custody for further investigation into the matter.​

According to NIA officials, the accused in the Kaliachak incident have been charged under attempt to murder, illegal confinement, illegal gathering, attack on government employees when they go to remove illegal gatherings, obstructing government employees, disobeying government employees’ orders, and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.​

Other sections, such as hurting workers, beating up government workers, vandalising government property, showing criminal intimidation, blocking the national highway for a long time, and illegal blockade, have also been slapped against the accused.​

In protest against the omission of names from the voter list in West Bengal, various areas, including Mothabari, Sujapur, and Kaliachak in Malda, witnessed heated protests from time to time. ​

The agitated crowd kept seven judges engaged in the Summary Revision work at the Kaliachak-II block office till night.​

The matter then went to the Supreme Court. Expressing dissatisfaction with the State police administration, the apex court said the investigation should be conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation or the NIA. Similarly, the Election Commission handed over the investigation to the NIA.​

PM Modi, during his election in West Bengal, spoke on this issue and targeted the Trinamool Congress for unleashing a reign of terror in the State. He accused the Trinamool Congress of misleading the people regarding the Summary Revision exercise and said there is no place for infiltrators in Bengal.​

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on the other hand, held the Election Commission responsible for the incident, as maintaining law and order now falls under the poll panel’s jurisdiction.​

She further claimed that the Election Commission changed a large number of police and government officers after the poll notification was issued for West Bengal, thereby worsening the law and order situation.​

–IANS

sch/dan