Supreme Court Blasts West Bengal Over ‘Preplanned’ Malda Judicial Officer Gherao
In a strong rebuke, the Supreme Court on Thursday severely criticized the West Bengal administration concerning the recent gherao of judicial officers in Malda. The apex court unequivocally labeled the incident as a “preplanned, calculated, and motivated” attempt designed to disrupt the ongoing electoral process.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant led the condemnation, stating that the gherao represented a “brazen attempt to challenge the authority of this Court.” He further emphasized that the actions were aimed at demoralizing judicial officers who are crucial to election-related duties. “It was a well-calculated move to demoralise the judicial officers and to stall the process,” the CJI observed.
SC Flags Glaring Delay in Administrative Response
The Chief Justice detailed a concerning sequence of events that highlighted a significant lapse in administrative response. The gherao commenced around 3:30 pm, prompting the Registrar General to immediately alert administrative authorities and request urgent intervention. Despite these efforts, hours passed without any substantial action.
CJI Kant noted, “Nothing was done till 8:30 pm.” It was only then that the Home Secretary was contacted, and the Director General of Police (DGP) was brought into a group call with the High Court Chief Justice. While assurances of prompt action were given, the court found that “no tangible steps were taken.”
Adding to the criticism, the Supreme Court pointed out the failure of senior district officials to reach the scene. “Neither the District Magistrate nor the Superintendent of Police reached,” the CJI asserted, highlighting that the Chief Justice of the High Court had to personally intervene by calling the DGP and Home Secretary to address the critical situation.
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