Locals ransack BDO office in Chakulia over SIR hearings, cops lathi charge after 5 hurt
Times of India | 16 January 2026
Malda: A day after the Farakka BDO office was vandalised during SIR hearings, North Dinajpur's Chakulia saw similar violence at an SIR hearing centre, which left at least five police personnel injured. Cops have detained 10 persons.
EC has taken a serious view of the ransacking of the Goalpokhor-2 BDO office, and has sought reports on the Farakka and Chakulia incidents. Sources said the poll panel has also told the Bengal DGP that such incidents would not be tolerated.
On Wednesday morning, protests first started with villagers blocking roads and burning tyres near Chakulia PS, demanding the BDO's explanation on why they were being harassed. After a while, around 300 irate villagers stormed the BDO office, breaking furniture and office equipment, and damaging documents. BDO Sujoy Dhar said property worth about Rs 20 lakh was destroyed.
As a police team arrived, the mob pelted stones, injuring five cops. Police had to resort to lathicharge and tear gas shelling.
One of the protesters, Sakib Akhtar, said: "We were first told that if one's name figured in 2002 list, his children would have no problem. Now, all of them are being called over logical discrepancies. Even a minor mismatch in spellings of names causes harassment. Many locals, especially women, are illiterate. Why should we appear for hearings again and again?"
Baijul Haque, another agitator said, "EC must stop harassing innocent people, else there will be a movement."
Meanwhile, micro-observers in Farakka assembly constituency areas have written to CEO Manoj Agarwal, resigning en masse in protest of the violence at the BDO office. In their letter, they said, "We hereby collectively withdraw from SIR duty with immediate effect. " Agarwal has issued instructions to the DMs and DEOs, saying no hearing centre would be changed.