2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 2, 2026 10:30 PM ISTRoadblock on NH 12 under Englishbazar police station in Malda as protests erupted over the SIR exercise . (Express photo by Partha Paul)Hours after the Supreme Court ordered it to hand over the probe to either the Central Bureau of Investigation or the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Election Commission on Thursday wrote to the NIA Director General to conduct an inquiry into the incident of seven judicial officers in West Bengal being held inside a BDO office in Malda for hours as a mob surrounded them.The judicial officers are among hundreds of such officials appointed on orders of the Supreme Court to decide on the eligibility of 60.06 lakh electors in the state. The group of seven judicial officers were allegedly gheraoed and were unable to leave a BDO office in Kaliachowk area of Malda district. They were rescued by police after eight hours, and the police van they were travelling in was pelted with stones by the mob.Taking note of the incident, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the EC to entrust the investigation to the CBI or NIA in the course of the day.Also Read | SIR deletion protest erupts in Bengal, 7 judicial officials gheraoed for 8 hours, NH-12 blockedCiting the court order, the EC wrote to the NIA DG saying: “…the necessary inquiry/investigation into the matter be conducted, and a preliminary inquiry report be submitted directly to the Hon’ble Court.”An EC source said an NIA team was expected to reach the state on Friday to start their investigation. Earlier in the evening, the EC held a meeting with the West Bengal officials to review the situation, it is learnt.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:BengalAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Apr 02: Latest NewsCatch him if you can: Javokhir Sindarov lays down the marker at Candidates, with resounding win against Fabiano Caruana; Pragg plays out safe drawPolice investigate Islamophobic chants during Spain-Egypt matchEarly impressions from IPL 2026: LSG’s confused strategy, MI’s all-guns-blazing approach, CSK’s lacklustre startSameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs dig DC out of trouble, power them to six-wicket win over LSG‘Just want to get paid as much as Akshay Kumar’: When Kareena Kapoor demanded pay parity with male stars; how to ask for it at your workplaceLive BlogIPL 2026, KKR vs SRH LIVE Cricket Score: Angkrish Raghuvanshi slams 50 for Kolkata vs Hyderabad at Eden Gardens13 seconds agoIran-US-Israel War Today LIVE Updates: ‘It is time for Iran to make a deal before it’s too late,’ Trump says5 minutes agoDubai News Iran War Live Updates: Several bridges in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan are potential targets for Iran, say reports35 minutes agoAssembly Elections 2026 Live Updates: Kerala seeing BJP wave, people fed up with UDF-LDF, says PM Modi2 hours agoRamayana Teaser Live Updates: Fans says ‘Ranbir Kapoor can do anything’; compares Ramayana promo with Varanasi glimpse3 hours ago