High Court Lawyer Arrested as Prime Conspirator in Hostage Case
Malda, April 3, 2026 — The West Bengal Police have made a massive breakthrough in the shocking Malda hostage crisis that shook the nation’s legal fraternity. On Friday morning, authorities successfully intercepted and arrested the alleged mastermind, Mofakkerul Islam, at the Bagdogra Airport in North Bengal just as he was attempting to flee the state.
His arrest marks a major escalation in the ongoing investigation into the unprecedented violence that saw seven judicial officers—including three women and a child—held hostage by a violent mob for over nine hours.
The Airport Intercept
According to police sources, 40-year-old Islam was desperately attempting to board a flight to Bengaluru to evade arrest when security forces swooped in. Another associate accompanying him was also taken into custody at the airport.
Islam is not an ordinary instigator. He is a practicing lawyer at the Calcutta High Court and a known political figure who contested the 2021 Assembly elections from the Itahar constituency on an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) ticket.
Investigators allege that Islam was the primary catalyst behind the terrifying hostage situation. Police have reportedly secured video evidence showing him standing atop an ambulance outside the Kaliachak Block Development Office (BDO), delivering highly inflammatory speeches and actively commanding the enraged mob not to let the trapped officials leave the premises.
A Massive Police Crackdown
The terrifying ordeal began when the judicial officers, tasked with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, were surrounded and violently confined by a massive crowd. It required a high-risk, late-night police rescue operation to finally extract the terrified officials and the young child to safety.
In the aftermath of the rescue, the state police have launched a severe crackdown across the district to identify the rioters. Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) K. Jayaraman confirmed that authorities have already registered 19 separate cases and arrested at least 35 individuals in connection with the horrific hostage situation and the intense stone-pelting that followed.
Supreme Court Fury and an NIA Probe
The incident has drawn absolute fury from the highest court in the land. The Supreme Court of India heavily reprimanded the West Bengal state administration, labeling the complete breakdown of law and order a “direct challenge to judicial authority.”
Taking immediate action to protect electoral and judicial staff, the apex court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to drastically enhance security protocols for all officers conducting electoral duties in the region.
Furthermore, the state police will no longer be the sole agency handling this sensitive case. Following strict directives from the Supreme Court, the Election Commission has officially requested the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the probe. An elite NIA team is expected to arrive in Malda shortly to unravel the deeper conspiracy behind this brazen attack on India’s judicial officers.