NIA summons TMC candidate's poll agent, 8 others in Kaliachak's assault of judicial officers case

National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned a dozen Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and activists from Malda just ahead of the high-stakes vote counting. Nine leaders were called to the Kaliachak police station on Sunday in connection with a high-profile case involving unrest and the alleged assault of judicial officers. Among those summoned for Monday is Asadul Sheikh, the election agent for Sabina Yasmin, the TMC candidate from the Sujapur assembly constituency.

Trinamool candidate Sabina Yasmin has condemned the timing of these summons, calling the situation "very sad" and accusing central agencies of reaching a new low. She alleged that the NIA is being used as a tool to intimidate party workers and interfere with the state’s democratic process right before the results are declared. Yasmin highlighted that while the incident in question occurred in the Mothabari assembly area, the leaders being summoned are from Sujapur, suggesting a deliberate attempt to weaken their presence during the counting process.

The investigation stems from violent protests that erupted in early April across the Kaliachak 2 block over the exclusion of names from the voter list. During the unrest, protesters blocked National Highway 12, surrounded the BDO office, and allegedly detained judges, leading to a clash with police. The Supreme Court took a very stern view of the harassment faced by judicial officers and subsequently ordered the NIA to take over the investigation.