NIA arrests two Congress leaders over gherao incident, questions party candidate

PTI, April 13, 2026, Kolkata: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested two Congress leaders over the gherao of judicial officers by locals protesting deletion of names in the SIR in West Bengal's Malda district, and released the party's Mothabari candidate after a night-long questioning, an official said.

The two arrested leaders were Asif Sheikh and Shahadat Hossain, identified as Congress nominee Sayem Chowdhury's associates, the official added. All three were questioned separately late into Sunday night.

"They had been taken into custody after an overnight interrogation at the NIA camp in Farakka township. Congress candidate Sayem Chowdhury was allowed to leave after questioning this morning," the officer said.

"Sayem Chowdhury's mobile phone was seized, and call records and messages are being examined," he said, adding that the Congress leader could further be questioned.

After returning from the NIA office, Chowdhury released a video message on social media alleging that he was being falsely implicated in the case and claimed that the ruling All India Trinamool Congress was behind the attempt.

Earlier on Sunday, NIA officials picked up Chowdhury from the Alinagar area in connection with the April 1 incident at Mothabari, where judicial officers were confined inside a BDO office during a law-and-order situation.

In the same case, the NIA had earlier arrested a local Indian Secular Front worker, Golam Rabbani, from Pratappur village in Mothabari. He was the first arrest in the case by the Central agency.