"No One Told Me": Mamata Banerjee On Hostage Incident After Top Court's Rap

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she did not know seven judicial officers had been held hostage overnight in Malda district. The Trinamool Congress leader complained she no longer felt in control of the state machinery after the Election Commission enforced top-level changes in the administration ahead of this month's Assembly poll.

"I don't know who is responsible… no one informed me," the Trinamool Congress leader said this afternoon, "The administration is not in my hand. The Election Commission is controlling law-and-order (in the state) … they listen to Home Minister Amit Shah. Everyone has been changed… my powers have been transferred to the EC. It is 'super President's rule'."

The Election Commission had "totally failed to control law and order", she said, "All my powers have been taken away."

"I came to know (about the hostages) from a journalist at midnight," the Chief Minister said at a poll rally in Murshidabad district. "But I understand why people are angry," she also said, underscoring resentment over the SIR exercise. 

Sagardighi, West Bengal: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says, "...Administration is not in my hand. Election commission is controlling law and order, they listen to home minister amit shah, from DG to SP everyone has been changed. My powers have been transferred to ECI it is a… pic.twitter.com/gIKSWbdb2j

— IANS (@ians_india) April 2, 2026

Banerjee's snapback followed a sharp reprimand from the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Surya Kant said the incident posed a "calculated and motivated" challenge to the authority of the country's top judicial forum, and that a federal agency - either the CBI or anti-terror body National Investigation Agency - lead a probe.

READ | "Was Monitoring Till 2 AM": Chief Justice Raps Bengal Over Hostage Incident

"This incident is a brazen attempt not only to browbeat judicial officers but also challenge the authority of this court... appears to be a calculated, motivated move to demoralise judicial officers and stop adjudication of objections..." the court raged.

The seven, including three women, had been detained by a mob of voters whose names have been deleted from the electoral roll ahead of this month's two-phase Assembly election.

The state's electoral roll, i.e., a list of eligible voters, has been overhauled by order of the Election Commission in a hugely contentious Special Intensive Revision exercise that opposition parties have said is designed to eliminate sympathetic voters.

Judicial officers are racing against time to complete the SIR before voting starts April 23.

In Malda, a huge protest broke Wednesday after the names of several people were struck off the list. A large mob gathered and the situation escalated with the officers being taken hostage.

The hostage situation continued for nine hours till a contingent of police and paramilitary personnel intervened - this was at 1am Thursday - and moved them to a safe location.

READ | 7 Judicial Officers Held Hostage In Bengal For 9 Hours Over SIR Deletion

Reports said there were attempts to attack vehicles evacuating the officers; visuals showed one car with a shattered window glass and angry protesters throwing stones at other vehicles.

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