Seven individuals, including Congress candidate Saim Chowdhury, arrested

Malda boils- SIR staff taken hostage, shocks Bengal

Kolkata – In Malda, Bengal, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested seven individuals, including Congress candidate Saim Chowdhury from the Mothabari Assembly constituency. In connection with the alleged taking of government officials hostage and the related violence during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, Ghulam Rabbani, a Gram Panchayat member associated with the Indian Secular Front (ISF) is also among those arrested.

🚨 Shocker from Bengal 🚨

National Investigation Agency arrests 7, including Congress candidate Sayem Chowdhury in Malda for gherao and holding judicial officials involved in the SIR adjudication process hostage ⚖️

Such acts strike at the very core of law & order. Strong legal… pic.twitter.com/5otA91bDMy

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) April 13, 2026

Chowdhury and his associates were apprehended during a campaign event in Mothabari. Earlier, AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) leader Mofakkarul Islam had also been taken into custody by the Bengal Police in connection with the case.

On 1 April 2026, officials deployed for the SIR process in Malda were allegedly held hostage by individuals linked to the Trinamool Congress and others. The Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the matter and transferred the investigation to the NIA.

Editorial Perspective

• Stringent charges, including sedition, should be brought against those accused of such acts, and they should be barred from contesting elections.
• If candidates resort to violence even before being elected, it raises serious concerns about their conduct after assuming office. Such Party must be banned.
• It is noteworthy that Rahul Gandhi, who often positions himself as a ‘protector of the Constitution,’ has fielded candidates accused of taking the law in their hands by holding government officials hostage.