In a scathing indictment of the West Bengal state administration, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday took suo motu cognizance of the harrowing harassment faced by judicial officers in Kaliachak, Malda. Expressing “extreme disappointment,” the apex court issued show-cause notices to the District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Malda, demanding an explanation for their apparent dereliction of duty.
A Night of Targeted Hostility
The matter was brought before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on Thursday morning. The court detailed a chilling timeline of events from Wednesday, where seven judges including three women were allegedly besieged by a mob in the Kaliachak area starting at 3:30 PM.
Chief Justice Kant revealed that the situation reached such a critical point that the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court had to personally intervene, placing calls to the State’s Director General of Police (DGP) and the Home Secretary because local authorities were non-responsive.
The High Court Chief Justice informed us that neither the DM nor the SP reached the spot. Even after they were finally freed after midnight, the judges’ vehicles were struck with sticks and pelted with stones,” the Chief Justice noted.
Failure of Governance
The Supreme Court characterized the incident as a monumental failure of the state government’s responsibility to protect the judiciary. Justice Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that the administration lacked the necessary vigilance required for such a sensitive operation.
The court’s frustration centered on the following points:
* Administrative Absence: Despite the siege lasting over eight hours, top district officials failed to appear at the scene.
* Security Lapse: Judicial officers, tasked with the sensitive duty of resolving objections in the SIR process, were left vulnerable to mob violence.
* Psychological Impact: The bench noted that such incidents create an atmosphere of fear, hindering the independent functioning of the judiciary.
Directives and Accountability
While senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Gopal Sankaranarayanan represented the State, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta presented arguments regarding the gravity of the situation, the Court remained firm on seeking accountability.
* Reports Mandated: The Home Secretary and the DGP have been ordered to submit a comprehensive report on the security breach.
* Show-Cause Notices: The Malda DM and SP must explain why they failed to secure the judges despite being alerted to the unfolding crisis.
* Deployment of Forces: The Court has placed its trust in the Commission to deploy adequate forces to ensure that judicial officers can resume their duties without intimidation.
The Supreme Court concluded that the smooth functioning of judicial work is non-negotiable and warned that any failure to protect the officers of the court would be viewed as a direct strike against the rule of law.