The National Investigation Agency (NIA) issued notices to 14 Trinamool Congress leaders and workers in Malda, including poll agents, asking them to appear for questioning on Sunday, the eve of counting of votes for the Bengal Assembly elections.
Of the 14, 10 are from the Sujapur Assembly constituency and four from Mothabari. The notices, served late on Saturday night, directed them to report to the Kaliachak police station at noon on Sunday in connection with an ongoing probe into the April 1 violence in Mothabari.
None of those summoned, however, turned up.
Trinamool sources said the leaders, through their advocates, informed the NIA that they would be unable to appear due to preparations related to counting and would cooperate after the process ends.
“My election agent, Abdur Rahaman, a Malda zilla parishad member, along with nine others who have key roles during counting, were asked to report to Kaliachak police station in connection with the April 1 incident,” said Sabina Yeasmin, the Trinamool candidate from Sujapur.
She alleged the timing of the summons was intended to exert pressure. “The BJP may have its hand behind this,” Yeasmin said.
Md Najrul Islam, the Trinamool candidate from Mothabari, said one of his additional election agents, Asadul Ahmed, and three others — all elected representatives of rural bodies — were asked to appear.
The BJP rejected the charges. “The NIA is an independent investigation agency. We have no idea who they summoned or when. The probe is being conducted under the Supreme Court’s directive,” said Ajay Ganguly, the president of the BJP’s Malda South organisational district.
The notices are linked to the April 1 violence in Mothabari, where deletions of voter names following the SIR exercise sparked massive fury and seven judicial officers were held hostage inside the BDO office for hours by agitators. The Supreme Court directed an NIA probe into the incident.