Malda attack: Arrests reach 35; AIMIM leader Mofakkerul Islam key accused among those held

Malda: In a major breakthrough in the investigation into the Mothabari unrest in Malda, state police on Friday arrested a leader linked to All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Mofakkerul Islam, from Bagdogra Airport while he was allegedly attempting to flee to Bengaluru. Another individual, Ekrmul Bagni, was also detained along with him.

The arrest comes in connection with the violent protests that erupted on Wednesday in Mothabari under Kaliachak II Block over the alleged deletion of names from the voter list. Islam, a lawyer by profession, had reportedly addressed a large gathering during the protest while standing atop a vehicle. Videos of his speech

went viral on social media, prompting police to launch a manhunt against him on charges of delivering provocative remarks.

According to police sources, Islam had gone into hiding following the incident. Raids were conducted at his residence in Itahar, in Uttar Dinajpur district, but he remained untraceable until his arrest at the airport early Friday morning.

Police have charged Islam under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the West Bengal Highway Act. He was produced before a court, which remanded him to 14 days of police custody. On his way to Malda court, Islam denied the allegations, stating: “I have neither provoked anybody nor am I a part of AIMIM anymore. I only delivered my speech there while passing by. There is no proof of instigation.”

Meanwhile, the total number of arrests in connection with the Mothabari violence has risen to 35. Fifteen more accused—nine from English Bazar and six from Mothabari—were produced before the Malda district court on Friday and remanded to police custody. Earlier, on Wednesday night, 18 individuals were arrested, including ISF candidate Shahjahan Ali Qadri.

The unrest saw hundreds of agitated residents staging road blockades and later gheraoing the Block Development Office (BDO) for several hours. Seven judicial officers, including three women conducting hearings related to voter list revision, were confined inside the premises until late at night when police managed to rescue them.

Addressing a press conference, ADG (Law and Order) K Jayaraman stated, “Islam is considered the main instigator, with three cases registered against him at Kaliachak police station and a total of 19 cases linked to the incident.” He also clarified that the delay in rescuing the judicial officers was due to the presence of a large number of women and children, which prevented immediate use of force.

In a significant development, a huge team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrived in Mothabari to take over the probe following directions from the Supreme Court through the Election Commission. Officials inspected the BDO office and local police station and reviewed CCTV footage as part of their preliminary investigation.

Security in the region has since been intensified, with central forces deployed across sensitive areas. Authorities have also convened a peace meeting involving representatives from various political parties to restore normalcy in the region.