Days after seven judicial officers engaged in adjudicating electoral rolls in Malda’s Mothabari constituency were gheraoed for more than eight hours, District Magistrate Rajanvir Singh Kapur Saturday served two show-cause notices to Additional District Magistrate (Law and Order) Shaikh Ansar Ahamad, asking him to reply within seven days.
One of the show-cause letters, a copy of which has been accessed by The Indian Express, states, “Shaikh Ansar Ahamad, IAS, Additional District Magistrate (Law and Order), Malda, was deputed on official Law and Order duty on 31st March 2026 for the purpose of dispersing a public gathering in the district of Malda, pursuant to orders issued by this office.
“It has subsequently come to the notice of this office, through social media and other sources, that while discharging the said duty, you addressed members of the public through a Public Address System and expressed certain concerns regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls – a matter being conducted under the supervision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India… without prior authorisation from the competent authority…”
“It is further reported that during the said address, you made certain commitments to members of the public without the prior knowledge or approval of any higher authority, which may be beyond the scope of authority independently vested in your office; WHEREAS it is also reported that you publicly stated that you would endeavour to have the date of adjudication extended in the matter of the SIR process – a matter that falls within the purview of the Election Commission of India and is subject to the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India – which statement, even if made with good intent, may have created unwarranted expectations among the public and may not be consistent with the role assigned to you,” the letter further mentions.
Ahamad has also been asked why he publicly committed to “obtain the reasons for each deletion from the Electoral Roll from the Judiciary or the Commission.”
“Failure to submit your written explanation within the stipulated period shall be construed as an admission of the lapse attributed to you, and disciplinary proceedings shall be initiated ex parte without further reference to you,” the district magistrate stated.
In the wake of the Mothabari incident, the district administration has already transferred two sector magistrates and two booth-level officers.
A team of 40 National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials has also arrived in Malda to investigate the harassment of seven judicial officers.
The Election Commission of India transferred the probe to the NIA after the Supreme Court slammed the West Bengal government for the Malda violence. The top court had directed CBI or NIA to investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the Malda violence was a “planned act” by a BJP-AIMIM-Congress nexus to influence the forthcoming Assembly polls in the state.
Reacting to the charge, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya remarked, “MIM (The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) is Trinamool, and Trinamool is MIM. Humayun is Trinamool, and Trinamool is Humayun. Everything has merged into one. Multiple identities in a single body – truly ‘wonderful’.”