Cannot be so high that CJ can’t have access: Supreme Court slams West Bengal chief secretary and DGP over Malda incident

Earlier the top court had taken suo motu cognisance over the incident of seven judicial officers being held hostage at Kaliachak Village in Malda District.

West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: The Supreme Court Monday slammed the West Bengal’s chief secretary and the Director General of Police over their conduct while hearing the suo motu case involving gherao of judicial officers in Malda district.

The Chief Justice of India Surya Kant questioned the chief secretary of the state over his unavailability, remarking, “Mr Secretary, what is the problem? You do not even entertain the call of the Chief Justice.”

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In response, the secretary denied receiving any such communication, stating that no officer from Calcutta had contacted him.

“There was no call made by any officer from Calcutta to my phone. From 2 pm to 4:30 pm I was in flight and till evening no call came to me,” the chief secretary said.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that it would have greatly assisted the Chief Justice and the High Court administration if the Secretary had shared his mobile number and other relevant particulars.

“The phone call in all probability came in the evening after you deboarded your flight from Delhi. It would have been extremely helpful for the CJ and HC administration if you had been kind enough to share your mobile number and other particular,” Justice Bagchi said.

Emphasising the need for accessibility, Justice Bagchi added that the secretary could not place himself in a position where even the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court or its administration could not reach him, and urged him to “lower himself a bit” to remain accessible to the court.

“You cannot be so high that the CJ of Calcutta or the high court administration cannot access. So lower yourself a bit so that CJ of Calcutta HC can access,” Justice Bagchi remarked.

The court directed the chief secretary to write an apology to the CJ of the Calcutta High Court.

“It is only because of sheer failure of your civil administration and the police administration that we gave this authority to judicial officers,” CJI said.

The Chief Justice of India noted in its order that, subject to the report that may be submitted by the Chief Justice of the High Court, no further action was proposed to be taken against the officers.

What happened in the last hearing? During the last hearing, the Supreme Court had pulled up the West Bengal administration over violence against judicial officers deputed in Malda district to decide cases flagged for logical discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state and ordered a probe by the CBI or NIA into the incident. The court said the agency should “submit a preliminary inquiry report directly to this court”.

Following the Supreme Court’s directive, the Election Commission (EC) handed over the probe into the gherao of the seven judicial officers to the NIA. EC secretary Sujeet Kumar Misra in a letter to the NIA Director General referred to the apex court’s order and directed it to probe Wednesday’s incident.

Live Updates
Apr 6, 2026 05:47 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Hearing ends

CJI: We will take up on 13th.

Apr 6, 2026 05:43 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: 'Sheer failure'

CJI: Sheer failure of both you and your administration.

CJI dictates order-

Chief Secretary and other officers present online. We hope that the officers have now well understood the sense of responsibility in which they were expected to respond and provide assistance to the Chief Justice of High Court.

Subject to the report that may be sent by the Honble CJ of High Court, we do not propose any further action against the officers

Apr 6, 2026 05:40 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI questions

CJI to Chief Secretary: What is the problem you don't even entertain the call of the chief justice?

Chief Secretary: There was no call made from officers of Calcutta to my phone.

Apr 6, 2026 05:37 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI dictates order

CJI: The suspects who have been arrested so far by local police shall be independently interrogated by the NIA

Apr 6, 2026 05:36 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI dictates order

CJI: The state/local police is directed to hand over all material to NIA and render all assistance as needed to take the probe to logical conclusion.

Apr 6, 2026 05:35 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Investigation reports

CJI: The investigation reports shall be filed before NIA Court at Kolkata.

Apr 6, 2026 05:32 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI begins to dictate order

CJI dictates order

CJI: We have been informed that ECI entrusted the inquiry to NIA. NIA has filed a preliminary status report. We find that the FIRs filed there in was by state police. There are serious allegations against the police. We direct NIA to take over investigation

Apr 6, 2026 05:24 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Suo motu case

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appearing for NIA: Three incidents. One judicial officer was prevented from going to the venue, second was the gherao at the venue.

Apr 6, 2026 05:23 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Suo motu case

The court now hearing the suo motu case involving gherao of judicial officers

Apr 6, 2026 05:21 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI dictates order

The court has posted the matter for further hearing on April 13

Apr 6, 2026 05:17 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI dictates order

CJI: We are informed that the applicant (grandson of Nandalal Bose) has filed appeal, we request the appellate tribunal to take the appeal on Monday for final hearing. Senior counsel for ECI assures us that necessary assistance will be provided.

Apr 6, 2026 05:15 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Nandalal Bose's plea

The court is informed about plea by grandson of Nandalal Bose against deletion.

Justice Bagchi: Let them file appeals

Apr 6, 2026 05:12 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI dictates order

CJI: Since we are told the entire exercise shall be completed today, the ECI is directed to publish the supplementary list tonight even in the absence of digital signatures on all the verified objections.

Apr 6, 2026 05:03 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI dictates order

CJI dictates order

CJI: We request the CJ of the HC to constitute a team of three former senior most chief justices or judges who shall prescribe the procedure which will mandatorily followed by all 19 tribunals uniformly.

Apr 6, 2026 04:54 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI interjects

CJI: If the state machinery fails, we will see what to do.

Apr 6, 2026 04:52 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: DS Naidu

Naidu urges bench to look at a video

Apr 6, 2026 04:52 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: SG Mehta

Mehta: One lady judicial officer was held under siege. She was crying and saying please take care of my family if anything happens to me

Apr 6, 2026 04:51 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: DS Naidu

Naidu: Judicial officer was crying

Apr 6, 2026 04:51 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Senior Advocate Shyam Divan

Divan to Naidu: You have changed everything, you have destroyed democracy

Apr 6, 2026 04:50 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI

CJI: We are not closing the matter, We will keep it pending

Apr 6, 2026 04:49 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Justice Baghci

Justice Bagchi: A race to finish till April 15 will create chaos.

Apr 6, 2026 04:45 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Justice Bagchi

Justice Bagchi quotes Rabindranath Tagore

Apr 6, 2026 04:43 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Sr advocate Menaka Guruswamy

Guruswamy: Painter Nandalal Bose family has been deleted from electoral rolls

Apr 6, 2026 04:41 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Justice Bagchi

Justice Bagchi: We do not want to rush this exercise

Apr 6, 2026 04:39 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal

Sibal: My suggestions is x appeals will be filed and disposed.. Can there be an interim order…

Apr 6, 2026 04:38 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Justice Bagchi

Justice Bagchi: Now compressing the appellate court will result in a very hasty exercise.

Apr 6, 2026 04:36 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Senior Advocate Shyam Divan

Senior Advocate Shyam Divan submits that no electors should be 'disenfranchised'.

Apr 6, 2026 04:36 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Sr advocate Shyam Divan

Divan: Tribunals asked to dispose of appeals by April 15, 2026

Apr 6, 2026 04:35 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Sr advocate Shyam Divan

Divan: Lengthy queues for filing appeals

Apr 6, 2026 04:34 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Sr advocate Shyam Divan

Diwan reads data about inclusion and exclusion during the SIR exercise

Apr 6, 2026 04:33 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Sr advocate Shyam Divan

Sr advocate Shyam Divan: Enormous exercise done, judicial officers have to be complimented

Apr 6, 2026 04:30 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Justice Bagchi's remarks

Justice Bagchi: We have got experienced CJs and justices. They will formulate their own procedure.

Apr 6, 2026 04:26 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI

CJI in lighter vein: I have brought a phone to courtroom for the first time

Apr 6, 2026 04:26 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI

CJI: There is one more letter by former CJ.

Apr 6, 2026 04:23 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI

CJI: Calcutta HC Registrar General has sent a letter to ECI

Apr 6, 2026 04:22 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI

CJI: Malda’s pendency cleared despite disruption

Apr 6, 2026 04:20 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: DS Naidu's submissions

Sr Adv DS Naidu: 26000 is pending, will be finished today. By today the whole process will be completed

Apr 6, 2026 04:19 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: CJI

CJI reads a letter sent to him by the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court- Over 59 lakh objections decided in the entire state

Apr 6, 2026 04:18 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Hearing begins

Hearing commences

Apr 6, 2026 04:18 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Suo Motu

Along with the SIR pleas, the court will be hearing the suo motu case over gherao of judicial officers in Malda district while hearing claims and objections.

Apr 6, 2026 04:11 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Hearing shortly

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi will hear the matter shortly. Senior advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Kalyan Banerjee and Menaka Guruswamy are in the court

Apr 6, 2026 03:54 PM IST
West Bengal SIR Hearing Live Updates: Previous hearing

In the previous hearing, the top court pulled up the state administration over violence against judicial officers deputed in Malda district to decide cases flagged for logical discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. The court ordered a probe by the CBI or NIA into the incident.

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