Court sends Kaliachak unrest accused Mofakkerul Islam to NIA custody

A special court in Kolkata has remanded Mofakkerul Islam to custody of the National Investigation Agency till April 27 in connection with the Mothabari incident in Malda, where a judge was allegedly confined inside a BDO office. The order was passed by the Bankshall Court, which also granted NIA custody of his associate Akramul Bagani.

The agency had sought custodial interrogation of the accused, describing Mofakkerul Islam as a key conspirator behind the unrest and road blockade in Sujapur. According to investigators, the situation escalated despite police presence due to alleged provocation, leading to violence and vandalism of government property.

The accused were produced before the court as per earlier directions, where the NIA argued that further questioning was necessary to uncover the full conspiracy. The agency also informed the court that mobile phones seized during the investigation need to be examined to trace communication links and establish the sequence of events.

On the other hand, the defence opposed the plea for custody and sought bail, arguing that Mofakkerul Islam is a practising lawyer and unlikely to abscond. A similar submission was made on behalf of Akramul Bagani. However, the court rejected the bail applications and allowed the NIA to take both accused into custody for further investigation.

The case stems from the April 1 incident in Mothabari in Kaliachak, Malda, where protests against the Special Intensive Revision reportedly led to the confinement of judicial officials, triggering widespread political reactions. Following directions from the Supreme Court of India, the NIA is currently probing the case, in which dozens of arrests have already been made and multiple cases registered.