Malda hostage incident: Who is Mofakkarul Islam? ‘Mastermind’ of judicial officers' gherao arrested in Bagdogra

The West Bengal Police have arrested the alleged “mastermind” behind the gherao of seven judicial officers in Malda district, a senior officer said on Friday. He has been identified as Advocate Mofakkarul Islam.

Mofakkarul Islam was arrested at Bagdogra airport in Siliguri while attempting to board a flight, the officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

“He is the mastermind of the Kaliachak incident, in which seven judicial officers were gheraoed inside a block office for several hours on Wednesday night. He was trying to board a flight to flee,” the officer told PTI.

Meanwhile, ADG North Bengal K Jayaraman said on Friday, “We detained Mofakkarul Islam from Bagdogra airport, for instigating people. He was going to his residence in Ithar. We will not allow any such kind of activity. Will definitely probe whether this was pre-planned. After this incident, we have given CAPF to judicial officers. So far, 35 people have been arrested.”

Who is Mofakkarul Islam?

ADG (North Bengal) K Jayaraman said Mofakkarul Islam hails from Itahar in Uttar Dinajpur district and was currently residing in Kolkata.

According to an X account, Mofakkarul Islam is an advocate at the Calcutta High Court. He's also a leader of Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), NDTV reported.

Mofakkarul Islam reportedly contested the 2021 elections from the Itahar Assembly constituency on an AIMIM ticket.

"He has 3 million followers on a social media page, and he is an advocate at the Calcutta High Court. He fought elections from his hometown on an AIMIM ticket," Imran Solanki, AIMIM's West Bengal chief, told NDTV.

Solanki further told the media house that Mofakerrul Islam was very active in raising his voice against issues such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) for Muslims.

"AIMIM gave him a ticket after seeing his popularity due to the work he did and the way he addressed the crowd," he was quoted as saying. Islam was also reportedly made in charge of the North Zone by the AIMIM.

Jayaraman, according to PTI, said three cases were registered against Mofakkarul Islam at Kaliachak police station for allegedly “instigating” locals through speeches on Wednesday, following which the seven judicial officers were gheraoed inside the Kaliachak-2 block office under Mothabari assembly constituency.

“We started tracking Mofakkarul Islam after the incident, and with the help of West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Siliguri Police, nabbed him and his associate from Bagdogra airport,” he was quoted as saying.

“Three cases were lodged against him for instigating locals in three different places,” he said, adding that a total of 19 cases have been lodged in connection with the Kaliachak incident.

With the latest arrest, police have so far arrested 35 people, including an ISF candidate, for their alleged involvement in the incident, he added.

What had happened in Malda?

Thousands of people on Wednesday reportedly blocked two gates of the Kaliachowk-2 Block Development Office (BDO), holding staff, including seven judicial officers, "hostage" for hours before they were rescued after midnight.

The standoff was triggered over mass deletions from the electoral rolls under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

The incident was part of a broader wave of protests that paralysed Malda throughout the day, as demonstrators staged road blockades across national and state highways and key rural routes in at least five Assembly constituencies.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) began probing the incident by registering a “preliminary enquiry” into the violence incident in Malda. The anti-terror agency initiated the preliminary enquiry late on Thursday after the Election Commission of India (ECI) formally referred the matter, sending a letter to its Director General, PTI reported.

Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will take place in two phases on 23 April and 29 April, with counting scheduled for 4 May.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)