Kaliachak violence mastermind AIMIM leader Mofakkerul Islam arrested while attempting to flee at Bagdogra airport

West Bengal Police achieved a major breakthrough on Friday with the arrest of Mofakkerul Islam, the alleged mastermind behind the nine-hour hostage crisis in Malda. Islam, a practicing advocate and former AIMIM candidate who contested the 2021 Assembly elections from Itahar, was apprehended at Bagdogra Airport while attempting to flee the state. Authorities identified him as the primary instigator who allegedly delivered provocative speeches that incited a mob to lay siege to the Block Development Office (BDO) on Wednesday.

The arrest follows a harrowing ordeal where seven judicial officers, including three women and a five-year-old child, were held captive by protesters. The standoff was triggered by mass deletions from electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. ADG North Bengal, K. Jayaraman, confirmed that Islam’s detention is part of a broader crackdown, with the total number of arrests now reaching 35. Following the Supreme Court’s sharp criticism of the state's "criminal failure," Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed to protect all judicial officers involved in election duties.

In a significant escalation, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially handed over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). An NIA team is expected to reach Malda on Friday to determine if the blockade and subsequent hostage situation were part of a pre-planned conspiracy to disrupt the electoral process. The federal agency will investigate the "administrative blockade" that paralyzed five Assembly constituencies and national highways through coordinated road blockades.