Along with Mofakkerul, his aide Ekramul Bagni was also arrested on charges of instigating the incident. According to the police, Mofakkerul was on his way to Bengaluru when he was detained. Additional Director General of Police North Bengal, K Jayaraman, confirmed the arrest, stating that authorities would not allow such activities and would investigate whether the incident was pre-planned. He further said that CAPF protection has been provided to judicial officers following the episode.
A video of Mofakkerul purportedly delivering a provocative speech to a crowd of protesters in Malda went viral, intensifying allegations of his role in instigating unrest. Reacting to his arrest, Mofakkerul, an advocate by profession, claimed in a video statement that he was detained because he had been present at protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). “I’ve been arrested from Bagdogra Airport because I was at the spot where protests were being held against SIR,” he said.
A resident of North Dinajpur, Mofakkerul has over three million followers on social media and has been actively raising his voice against issues such as the CAA, NRC, and SIR. Given his popularity, he was given an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) ticket to contest the 2021 elections from the Itahar Assembly constituency and was also made North Zone in-charge at the time. However, he was not assigned any responsibility after Imran Solanki took charge as the new West Bengal AIMIM President in 2025.
The Malda hostage shocker unfolded when a massive protest erupted on Wednesday, triggered by mass deletions from electoral rolls under the ongoing SIR process ahead of this month’s two-phase Assembly election. The situation escalated rapidly as a large mob of voters, whose names had been removed from the list, gheraoed seven judicial officers, including three women, and took them hostage at around 3:30 pm.
The hostage situation continued for nearly ten hours until police and paramilitary personnel intervened and safely evacuated the officers at approximately 1:30 am. Reports indicated attempts to attack vehicles during the evacuation, with visuals showing shattered window glass and protesters throwing stones as security forces escorted the officers to safety.
Police confirmed that at least 35 people have been arrested so far in connection with the case, with several having links to AIMIM and the Indian Secular Front (ISF). Authorities acknowledged a delay in the rescue operation but denied any negligence.
In a major escalation, the Election Commission handed over the probe to the anti-terror agency NIA following a dir
ective from the Supreme Court. The top court strongly criticized the state administration for its “complete failure” and inaction over what it described as a “deplorable” gherao and attack on judicial officers during the Special Intensive Revision of the voters list. It also directed the Election Commission to requisition adequate Central Forces and deploy them at all locations where judicial officers are adjudicating objections.
The incident has not only exposed serious lapses in administrative response but also raised urgent concerns about the safety of judicial officers and the integrity of the electoral process amid escalating political tensions.
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