5 min readKolkata, MaldaApr 4, 2026 07:07 AM IST First published on: Apr 4, 2026 at 07:07 AM ISTStanding atop a car and a microphone in hand, Mofakkerul Islam addressed people at the site of a blockade as protests erupted in West Bengal’s Malda district on Wednesday against the deletion of voters from the electoral rolls and the adjudication process.Mofakkerul, the alleged mastermind behind the 16-hour blockade at the Sujapur hospital crossing, was seen meeting with district officials who were trying to get the protesters to climb down that day. At the Kaliachak-II BDO office, the protesters gheraoed seven judicial officers, who were rescued after hours.AdvertisementEarly on Friday, the 40-year-old was arrested at the Bagdogra airport in Darjeeling district, while he was allegedly trying to flee. This came a day after the Supreme Court criticised the “brazen attempt” to “browbeat the judicial officers”, saying it amounts to a challenge to its authority. Police personnel with people arrested amid a probe into the gherao of seven judicial officers by protesting locals over the deletion of names in the SIR exercise, in Malda district, West Bengal, Friday, April 3, 2026. (PTI Photo)Later on Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who agreed with the court’s remarks the day before and urged people not to fall for provocations, pointed fingers at the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) that is linked to the Fufurfa Sharif shrine in Hooghly district. The CM alleged that those “trying to escape through Bagdogra came from Mumbai … the BJP brought that MIM-ISF group from Mumbai with help from the Congress … they split the votes in Bihar to help the BJP win”.Without naming Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP, the TMC chief said, “The game of vote-cutting is afoot. A ‘brother’ is coming from Hyderabad, accompanied by a ‘traitor brother’ (referring to former TMC leader Humayun Kabir). If you don’t want detention camps, stay with us … A cuckoo is born in a crow’s nest. You may give them mangoes, but do not give them your vote,” she said.AdvertisementA lawyer who has practised in the Calcutta High Court, Mofakkerul is from Itahar in Uttar Dinajpur district and contested the 2021 Assembly polls from there on an AIMIM ticket, polling only 831 votes. However, he lives in Kolkata along with his wife and children. Since the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began in Bengal, Mofakkerul has been uploading videos on the exercise on social media, providing people with legal advice about what they should do. This came a day after the Supreme Court criticised the “brazen attempt” to “browbeat the judicial officers”, saying it amounts to a challenge to its authority.Following his arrest, a post appeared on his social media account that read, “I have been arrested at Bagdogra airport. They may take me to Malda and other places. I will be away from you for quite a few days now. I was travelling to Alipurduar that day and was passing through. I tried to help them. No judge was gheraoed because of me. Do whatever needs to be done to ensure your vote.”Following the Supreme Court’s orders handing over the probe ot the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the CBI, the Election Commission on Thursday directed the police to issue an arrest warrant against Mofakkerul. Since then, the police had been tracking him. The poll body held an emergency meeting with top administrative officials and decided that the NIA should take over the inquiry. In the preliminary inquiry, Mofakkerul was identified as having incited the locals, which led to the blockade along different points on National Highway-12.you may likeADG (North Bengal) K Jayaraman told reporters that three cases had been registered against Mofakkerul at the Kaliachak police station for allegedly “instigating” locals, following which the seven judicial officers were gheraoed.“We started tracking Mofakkerul 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. Three cases were lodged against him for instigating locals in three different places,” he said, adding that a total of 19 cases had been lodged and 35 people were arrested in connection with the Kaliachak incident.The officer said that despite the NIA taking over the probe, the West Bengal Police would continue with their investigation to determine whether the incident was “pre-planned” and whether more people were involved.